#Neuromuscular Reprogramming

[bodyalive]

“swinging” (c) Bernd Walz

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Descending Modulation: Why Massage Therapy Can Alleviate Pain Posted by Mark Olson | Oct 24, 2019 | Massage, Massage Science [Thanks Barbara Sharp Lmt]

“Clients walk out of a massage session feeling better, not because circulation was altered in the tissue or because of any direct mechanical manipulation of soft tissues, but because of the symphony of nociceptive modulatory activity that emerges both from tactile input and from the meaning the client derives from environmental and social cues. (11)

Once we understand that the tissue is (often) not the issue and how pain is generated and modulated in the brain, we can realize that placebo effects are nowhere near fake but rather an essential therapeutic tool to wield against the real basis for pain. Understanding the mechanisms of descending modulation’s nonspecific effects means that our treatment strategy doesn’t require mechanical focus on the region with the pain. It also means that educating our clients about how pain works becomes part of the treatment (since it can further enhance descending inhibition), and that what and how we communicate to the client about their condition plays a much more central role than what would be expected with the common, passive, unidirectional, tissue-centric model of pain.

Classes on effective listening and communication skills may truly be more valuable than classes in one massage modality or another.” I think the Neuromuscular Reprogramming model using competent, exacting and still soft manual muscle testing fulfills the active communication aspect better than words. Gently teaching a nervous system how to achieve a motion or hold a joint using a fully balanced set muscles does reduce pain.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Ball and socket joints:

Definition: A joint in which a ball moves within a socket so as to allow rotary motion in every direction within certain limits. 2. An articulation (such as the hip joint) in which the rounded head of one bone fits into a cup-like cavity of the other and admits movement in any direction.

Ball and socket joints such as the shoulders have infinite vectors of movement. This is a thought I’ve heard before from @John Welch, one of my favorite movement educators. Makes sense to me...

This presents us with the need to calibrate each position in a ROM with the other muscles that are part of maintaining and functioning in that position. Being willing to look at each degree of ROM and check muscle relationships to see if that position is fully supported is the sophisticated opportunity presented by NMR. How long will that take? That depends on how many of the muscles that the joint depends on are ‘on the map’ and ready for action…

Jocelyn Olivier :: Founder of Neuromuscular Reprogramming

[bodyalive]

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Some thoughts on the Subjectivity of Muscle Testing...

Anyone use Muscle Testing in their practice? Here are a few things to watch out for when someone is muscle testing YOU.

If you go at it with preconceived expectations you will prejudice the result, (just like a scientific experiment can be influenced by the vested point of view of the observer). The result of your muscle test will match your expectation. So if you are not entirely void of having anything to prove, your muscle testing will not be accurate. (Beware of those who test you for the need of supplements who have those supplements for sale on their shelves!)

Skeptics will never be able to master muscle testing as they'll be up for proving it is bogus by making it all come out incoherent.

I consider that MMT is best used not as a TEST of anything as much as a way of having a kinesthetic conversation with the body, a form of biofeedback that helps a person to learn new movement options. It is the Missing Link in the Movement Re-education process.

In NeuroMuscular Reprogramming we use muscle testing to cue the organizational intelligence of the body to discover dysfunctional neuromuscular pathways and then use our other manual release techniques, (your choice of modalities), to enable the body to discover (or recover) better, more efficient, easeful movement coordination options.

Additionally, if a person's nervous system has organ, breathing regulation or emotional disturbance the results of muscle testing will be extremely variable and unreliable.

I can see why many people have contradiction with the use of this tool. It requires taking a lot of things into consideration. It is not a simple pulley and lever system with measurable results. It is a way of conversing with a dynamic, living, intelligent system. Much can be learned about that system through the use of MMT.

[Jocelyn Olivier]

Anne Weinholt

source: tanya jonsson

[williamsmith765]

Unlock Flexibility and Reduce Pain with Fascial Stretch Therapy in Mississauga: What to Expect

In today’s increasingly sedentary and high-stress world, it’s no surprise that more people are experiencing chronic pain, reduced mobility, and stiffness in their joints and muscles. Whether you're an athlete aiming to improve performance or someone recovering from an injury or dealing with daily discomfort, finding an effective and sustainable solution to restore flexibility and reduce pain is crucial. One innovative approach gaining popularity in the world of therapeutic movement is Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST).

Unlike traditional stretching methods, which often focus solely on muscles, FST takes a more holistic view—addressing the body’s fascia, or connective tissue, which plays a vital role in movement, stability, and overall function. Clients across all age groups and activity levels are discovering how this science-backed method improves flexibility, reduces pain, and enhances physical performance.

If you’re looking for a gentle yet transformative way to address mobility challenges, Fascial Stretch Therapy in Mississauga could be the key to unlocking your body’s full potential.

What is Fascial Stretch Therapy?

Fascial Stretch Therapy is a unique, pain-free method of assisted stretching developed by Ann and Chris Frederick of the Stretch to Win Institute. Unlike passive or static stretching, where you hold a position for a set period, FST is a dynamic system that combines breathwork, traction, joint movement, and neuromuscular re-education to target not just muscles, but the fascia—an often-overlooked yet critical system of connective tissue.

Fascia is the three-dimensional web of connective tissue that surrounds and interpenetrates every muscle, bone, nerve, artery, vein, and organ in your body. Think of it as your internal "suit" that holds everything together. When fascia becomes tight, dehydrated, or restricted due to poor posture, lack of movement, injury, or stress, it can cause pain, limit mobility, and affect your overall health.

FST gently targets these restrictions using assisted, rhythmic movements that help release tension, restore proper joint space, and improve circulation and mobility without pain or strain.

Why Choose Fascial Stretch Therapy in Mississauga?

Mississauga is a thriving urban center filled with people leading busy, active lives—from desk-bound professionals to competitive athletes. This kind of lifestyle often leads to repetitive movement patterns, stiffness, and muscular imbalances that standard stretching routines just can't fully resolve. That’s where Fascial Stretch Therapy in Mississauga comes in.

Whether you’re seeking relief from back pain, recovering from a sports injury, or simply want to enhance your athletic performance or daily comfort, FST offers a gentle yet highly effective solution. With certified FST practitioners available across Mississauga, residents now have access to cutting-edge care that prioritizes individualized support and long-term results.

Top Benefits of Fascial Stretch Therapy

Let’s take a closer look at why Fascial Stretch Therapy is quickly becoming a go-to treatment for people seeking flexibility, pain relief, and improved quality of life.

1. Increased Flexibility Without Pain

Traditional stretching can feel painful or forceful, especially when targeting tight muscles. FST uses gentle, flowing movements that decompress joints and elongate muscles through the fascia, allowing for a greater range of motion without triggering pain or the body’s protective mechanisms.

This method helps reprogram the brain-body connection so that the body learns how to move more freely, naturally increasing flexibility without discomfort.

2. Reduced Chronic Pain and Tension

By targeting deep fascial restrictions, FST addresses one of the root causes of chronic pain. It’s particularly beneficial for people with:

Low back pain

Neck and shoulder tension

Hip tightness

Plantar fasciitis

Sciatica

TMJ (jaw tension)

Postural imbalances

Because fascia is richly innervated, releasing tension in the connective tissue can lead to immediate pain relief and a sense of ease in the body.

3. Improved Posture and Alignment

Many people suffer from poor posture due to prolonged sitting, repetitive motion, or muscle imbalances. FST realigns the body by gently opening up tight areas and promoting balance across the muscular and fascial systems. This not only improves your appearance but reduces wear and tear on joints and muscles.

Clients often report feeling taller, lighter, and more "open" after just one session.

4. Enhanced Athletic Performance

Athletes love FST because it improves functional movement, increases agility, and speeds up recovery time. Whether you’re lifting weights, running marathons, practicing martial arts, or playing recreational sports, improved mobility and reduced muscle tension lead to better results and fewer injuries.

Professional athletes in the NFL, NHL, and Olympic teams have used FST for years to stay in peak condition—and now this elite-level care is available in local clinics.

5. Accelerated Recovery from Injuries

Injury recovery often involves more than healing muscles; it’s also about addressing compensations and tightness in the surrounding fascia. FST can be an excellent complement to physiotherapy, chiropractic, or massage therapy, helping to restore normal movement patterns faster.

It’s particularly useful during rehabilitation from surgery or chronic conditions like arthritis or fibromyalgia, offering a gentle, non-invasive route to recovery.

6. Stress Relief and Mental Relaxation

Fascial Stretch Therapy isn’t just about the body—it affects the mind too. The rhythmic, flowing nature of the movements, combined with deep breathing and a focus on relaxation, engages the parasympathetic nervous system (your rest-and-digest state).

Clients often leave sessions not just more mobile, but more centered, calm, and grounded.

7. Long-Lasting Results

Because FST works on the deeper connective tissue and nervous system patterns, its effects often last longer than other forms of bodywork. With consistent sessions and personalized movement education, clients often experience permanent improvements in mobility and pain levels.

What to Expect During a Fascial Stretch Therapy Session

If you’re considering your first FST session, here’s what the process typically looks like:

1. Assessment

Your therapist will begin with a full-body assessment. They’ll look at your posture, joint mobility, movement patterns, and areas of pain or tension. This helps them create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your goals.

2. Comfortable Setup

FST is typically done on a massage table equipped with stabilization straps to gently anchor one leg while the other is moved through various ranges. You remain fully clothed in flexible, comfortable clothing (e.g., yoga pants and a T-shirt).

No oil or lotion is used, and the environment is quiet and calming—more like a restorative session than a workout.

3. Assisted Stretching Techniques

The therapist will move your limbs in rhythmic, flowing patterns, using breath cues to deepen the stretches without forcing your body. You might be asked to contract certain muscles briefly to engage your nervous system in the process.

This combination of active and passive movement allows for greater release of fascia and longer-lasting effects.

4. Personalized Education and Home Care

A good FST provider will give you feedback on your posture, movement, and lifestyle habits, often recommending stretches or mobility drills to support your progress between sessions.

Sessions typically last between 50 to 75 minutes, and most clients feel noticeable improvements after just one appointment.

Who Can Benefit from Fascial Stretch Therapy?

Fascial Stretch Therapy is safe and effective for people of all ages and fitness levels. It can be especially beneficial for:

Athletes: Improve performance and recovery

Desk workers: Release postural tension from long hours of sitting

Older adults: Maintain joint mobility and independence

People with chronic pain: Find non-invasive relief

Post-surgical patients: Regain range of motion and heal faster

Fitness beginners: Safely increase flexibility and prevent injury

Even if you’re not in pain, FST can enhance your overall well-being, helping you move better, feel better, and live better.

How Often Should You Get Fascial Stretch Therapy?

This depends on your goals. For general maintenance and flexibility, a session every 2–4 weeks may be enough. If you're recovering from injury or managing chronic pain, weekly sessions may be recommended at first.

FST pairs well with other therapies like massage, physiotherapy, chiropractic care, and yoga. It’s not a replacement for exercise, but a valuable complement that makes movement more enjoyable and sustainable.

Finding the Right Fascial Stretch Therapist in Mississauga

Not all bodyworkers are trained in FST. Look for a certified Fascial Stretch Therapist who has studied with the Stretch to Win Institute. Check their credentials, reviews, and areas of specialty.

Many Mississauga clinics and wellness centers now offer this service, often as part of integrated care alongside physiotherapy or massage therapy. Whether you're in Port Credit, Streetsville, or the City Centre, chances are there’s a skilled practitioner nearby.

Be sure to ask if they offer complimentary consultations so you can discuss your needs and see if FST is right for you.

Client Experiences: What Real People Are Saying

Here’s what some clients in Mississauga have said about their experience with FST:

“I’ve dealt with lower back pain for years, and nothing seemed to help until I tried FST. After a few sessions, I felt more mobile than I have in years.” – Laura D.

“I’m a runner, and this therapy has helped me avoid injuries and improve my stride. I never knew my hips were so tight until my therapist released them—it was like unlocking a new body.” – Mark T.

“I was skeptical at first, but the sessions are incredibly relaxing, and I always leave feeling taller and lighter. It's now a regular part of my self-care routine.” – Anita K.

Conclusion: A New Approach to Healing and Mobility

Fascial Stretch Therapy is more than just another wellness trend—it’s a science-based approach to helping people feel, move, and live better. Whether you're an athlete pushing your limits or a desk worker feeling the aches of modern life, FST offers a safe, effective path toward flexibility, pain reduction, and body awareness.

As more people in Mississauga discover its benefits, Fascial Stretch Therapy is becoming an essential part of personalized health and wellness plans. It's gentle enough for anyone to try, yet powerful enough to produce life-changing results.

Don’t wait for pain or stiffness to worsen—take the first step toward greater mobility and comfort by exploring Fascial Stretch Therapy in Mississauga. Your body—and your future self—will thank you.

[kineticinquiryfeldenkrais]

Feldenkrais Method Transformative Benefits for Physical Therapy

In the realm of physical therapy, the Feldenkrais Method stands out as a transformative approach that goes beyond traditional rehabilitation techniques. This article explores the unique benefits that the Feldenkrais Method brings to the field of physical therapy, offering a holistic perspective on healing and enhancing overall well-being.

Understanding the Essence of the Feldenkrais Method

A Holistic Approach to Rehabilitation

The Feldenkrais Method, developed by Moshe Feldenkrais, is not just a series of exercises but a holistic approach to rehabilitation. It prioritizes heightened awareness and intentional movements to reprogram neuromuscular patterns, offering a unique avenue for physical therapy.

Core Components of the Feldenkrais Method in Physical Therapy

Awareness Through Movement (ATM)

At the core of the Feldenkrais Method's application in physical therapy is Awareness Through Movement. This principle emphasizes the quality of movement over quantity, guiding patients to tune into their bodies, understand signals, and engage in deliberate, mindful actions to aid in the rehabilitation process.

Functional Integration (FI)

Supplementing group sessions, Functional Integration plays a crucial role in physical therapy. Through one-on-one interactions, certified practitioners utilize hands-on techniques to address specific movement needs, offering personalized guidance for patients on their journey to recovery.

Transformative Benefits in Physical Therapy

Enhanced Flexibility and Range of Motion

One of the standout benefits of incorporating the Feldenkrais Method into physical therapy is the promotion of enhanced flexibility. By focusing on subtle movements and responding to the body's cues, patients experience a gradual expansion in their range of motion, contributing to improved functionality.

Pain Management and Injury Rehabilitation

The gentle and deliberate nature of the Feldenkrais Method makes it an ideal companion for pain management and injury rehabilitation in physical therapy. Patients, by consciously addressing tension and imbalances, can alleviate discomfort, stimulate healing, and foster a more resilient body.

Mind-Body Connection for Holistic Healing

In the world of physical therapy, where the mind-body connection is pivotal, the Feldenkrais Method shines. It not only addresses physical aspects of rehabilitation but also promotes mental relaxation, reducing stress and anxiety, fostering a holistic approach to healing.

Integration of Feldenkrais into Physical Therapy Sessions

Collaboration with Skilled Practitioners

The successful integration of the Feldenkrais Method into physical therapy sessions often involves collaboration with skilled practitioners. Certified Feldenkrais practitioners bring a unique set of skills to the table, ensuring that the method is tailored to the specific needs and goals of the patient.

Incorporating Feldenkrais Principles into Rehabilitation Exercises

Physical therapists can incorporate Feldenkrais principles into traditional rehabilitation exercises. By emphasizing mindfulness, intentional movements, and the mind-body connection, these principles enhance the effectiveness of standard physical therapy routines.

Conclusion: A Holistic Approach to Rehabilitation

In conclusion, the Feldenkrais Method offers transformative benefits for "Physical Therapy Feldenkrais", providing a holistic approach to rehabilitation. Through its emphasis on awareness, intentional movement, and the mind-body connection, it opens new avenues for enhanced flexibility, pain management, and overall well-being. Collaborating with skilled practitioners and integrating Feldenkrais principles into rehabilitation exercises can elevate the transformative impact of physical therapy, offering patients a unique and holistic path to recovery.

[hood-ex]

If you like hurt!Jason + Dick being a good older brother then boy howdy, do I have a fic for you. 

Summary:

For the fifth time in less than a minute, Dick cursed his luck that Jason got knocked out from a tranq while they were being chased by magic androids in the middle of bumfuck nowhere.

“Thanks a lot, kid,” he muttered as he stumbled over rocks and fallen branches. Jason, who was too dead to the world to realize that Dick was fireman carrying his ass away from danger, wasn’t able to answer with a snarky remark.

Read on AO3 or below the cut. Chapter 1/2.

For the fifth time in less than a minute, Dick cursed his luck that Jason got knocked out from a tranq while they were being chased by magic androids in the middle of bumfuck nowhere.  

“Thanks a lot, kid,” he muttered as he stumbled over rocks and fallen branches. Jason, who was too dead to the world to realize that Dick was fireman carrying his ass away from danger, wasn’t able to answer with a snarky remark.

Dick tried to ignore how the silence from his brother unnerved him by pausing to check over his shoulder for any androids on their tail. All he saw was lush green trees and bushes that stretched on for miles and miles. No shiny metal in sight.

Dick didn’t dare let his guard down. He knew the androids were coming for them. Well, more specifically, for Jason. The Outlaws were clearly on someone’s shit list and were being hunted down like dogs.

They’d learned pretty early on in the fight that the androids weren’t interested in Dick, but they’d been more than happy to swarm Jason and Artemis. Dick figured the androids were programmed with facial recognition, and since they weren’t programmed to recognize Dick’s face, they ran right past him. It was a blessing for Dick and a curse for Jason.

The androids were drawn to Jason like a beacon. Dick doubted the explosion he set off earlier would dissuade the androids from finding them for much longer.

Sweat from Dick’s temple trickled down towards the corner of his lip. He wiped it away on Jason’s pants. Fuck, it was hot outside. Running around with over two hundred pounds on his shoulders in Maine’s humid air was almost unbearably uncomfortable.

He was running pretty low on energy, having used most of it to smash the android’s heads in. Carrying Jason around certainly didn’t help. It was frustrating because Dick knew his slow pace was putting them in danger. On the flip side, stopping would shorten the distance between them and the enemy.

Still, he wouldn’t be much use if he was too exhausted to protect Jason. And another problem he’d been thinking about for a while was that he needed food and water to be at the top of his game.

He wasn’t too worried about food since he had a protein bar stored in his glove. Water was the bigger worry. They had some on their plane. Only problem was that it would take Dick some time to backtrack to get to it, assuming he’d even get to that point. If he couldn’t make it to the plane by evening, he would have to track down a creek or a river. The thought was extremely unappealing to his tired mind and muscles, but if it meant life or death, he’d do it. With that thought in mind, he decided to find a place to recharge.

Dick was panting by the time he stumbled upon a cluster of giant rocks that were shrouded somewhat decently by neighboring trees. Two of the large rocks crossed over each other, leaving a hole between them that looked just big enough to fit both Dick and Jason inside of.

Arms and shoulders burning, Dick decided the rocks would be good enough to camouflage them from sight. He stopped in front of the hole, and with a grunt, he carefully lowered Jason to the ground. Knowing Jason’s head was protected by his helmet, he grabbed Jason by the legs and slowly dragged him inside the hole. Jason would probably be pissed about the dirt stains on his jacket when he woke up, but Dick was quickly running out of fucks to give.

It wasn’t until Dick was fully submerged in the hole that he realized his mistake. The smell of soil invaded his nose, and before he knew it, he was living through a PTSD nightmare. There was an instantaneous feeling of his lungs feeling way too small, like he was breathing through a straw.

It was too tight here. Too small. Too dark. Dirt was fucking everywhere. In his hair, on his legs, under his fingernails. His hands hurt so bad. He needed to breathe, but he couldn’t. He had to save his air. There wasn’t much of it left. Don’t panic. Don’t panic. Don’t panic!

Hands shaking, Dick ripped off his gloves and threw them to the side. He blindly reached out towards Jason and ended up grabbing Jason’s arm. Dick immediately started rubbing his hand against the leather, buttons, and zippers on the jacket. He focused on the rough texture of the leather, the hard metal of the buttons, and the biting teeth of the zippers.

“My name is Dick Grayson. I’m with my brother on a mission in Maine. I can see the sky. I can smell the fresh air. I can hear the birds chirping and the bugs buzzing. I can feel my brother’s jacket. I’m not in a coffin. I’m not underground. My mind is my greatest weapon.”

Dick had no idea how many times he repeated his mantra before the anxiety that was threatening to choke him slowly eased up. He stumbled towards the opening of the hole and greedily sucked in large amounts of air, making sure to focus on the trees swaying in the breeze against the bright blue sky.

Slowly, oh so slowly, he felt himself become grounded back to his current reality. The panic began to fade. His chest didn’t feel like it was about to give out on him anymore, and his shaking shifted to a slight tremor. He did one more controlled breathing exercise just to be on the safe side.

He could do this. He was okay. He was okay. He was okay.

Fuck, he did not expect that. Fuck his brain for doing that to him at a time like this. Christ, seriously.

There was no time to reflect on it right now. He needed to take care of his brother. With more reluctance than he'd like to admit, he slowly dragged his feet back to where Jason was lying on the ground.

Dick gently raised Jason up by his shoulders and situated him against the rock wall. He eyed Jason’s location in the middle of the hole, and on second thought, he moved Jason closer towards the opening where he’d be able to see the sky in case he woke up suddenly.

Dick wasn’t the only one in his family that was triggered by dirt.

He felt more in control of himself as he worked on taking Jason’s helmet, jacket, and gloves off, worried that Jason would overheat in them. If he spent a little extra time rubbing the varnish on the helmet, or feeling the texture of the gloves, well, that was neither here nor there. He finished by placing the items next to Jason’s side where they could air out a little.

Jason’s hair was damp and his face was covered in dried sweat tracks. Dick knew his face was probably in a similar state. Sighing, he grabbed Jason’s wrist and checked his pulse. A minute passed. Dick set Jason’s arm back on the ground, content that his BPM fell in the normal range. He placed the back of his hand against Jason’s forehead and his cheeks, checking to make sure that Jason wasn’t in danger of heatstroke. To his relief, Jason seemed to be in as good a state as Dick was, which was one less thing to worry about.

He just wished he knew exactly what had been in the tranq so he would have a general idea of what he was dealing with in case Jason started having any weird side effects from it. It was most likely an anesthetic that lacked neuromuscular blocking agents. Jason wouldn’t have been able to breathe by himself if NBA’s were present, and as far as Dick could tell, Jason’s breathing was fine.

Knowing Jason was okay made some of the anxiety in Dick’s gut disappear. That taken care of, Dick carefully moved to the entrance of the hole and looked out into the forest. There didn’t seem to be anything unusual. Just trees, trees, and oh yeah, more trees. Nothing to be alarmed about.

What Dick really wanted to do was do a brief sweep around the perimeter to check for anything in the distance. It would be too risky to reveal himself in the daylight. But now that he was thinking about it, would the androids even react if they only saw him and not Jason? The fight proved that they didn’t consider Dick a threat, and they’d made no move to attack him. Would they simply walk past him just like they’d done thirty minutes earlier?

Dick had to take into account that whoever was responsible for the androids was probably now aware of his existence.

During the fight, he’d noticed that the androids had white crystals implanted on the back of their heads. He’d spotted the crystals while frying the androids with his escrima sticks, and what he’d found out was that the crystals emitted heat and an aura of magic.

The magicked androids were more resilient and adaptable than regular androids. Dick assumed the magic would also make it way easier to reprogram the androids on a whim, meaning the maker could have easily included Dick into the list of faces the androids could recognize. Knowing that was a possibility made Dick hesitant to put his theory to the test.

Feeling tired from the heat, he returned to his spot across from Jason, stretching his legs out as much as he could in the small space. The shade from the rocks made him feel a little bit cooler. He’d kill for AC and a cold glass of water right about then.

That shit would have to wait because Dick needed a plan. He looked at Jason’s slack face and frowned. Taking Jason’s current state into account, Dick ran a few different scenarios through his head. While he thought, he brought up his wrist computer on his glove and tracked Artemis’s location. As far as Dick was aware, she’d retreated in the direction of their hidden plane. His tracking device said differently. Artemis was actually somewhere closer to the building that Bizarro was trapped in.

Dick was worried she would try to save Bizarro without any backup. He didn’t want her to get captured as well. Jason had been pretty adamant that the guy holding Bizarro prisoner wasn’t a magic user himself, which made Dick feel slightly better. The last thing they needed was a magicked Superman clone and a magicked Bana Amazon.

Dick checked his and Jason’s own location on the GPS and calculated what steps he would need to take. The plane was parked three miles East from their current location. The building holding Bizarro was two miles from the plane.

Dick and Jason could easily cover that kind of ground in an hour under normal circumstances. In their current situation, it would take Dick much longer to navigate through the forest with Jason on his back. Carrying Jason for that long in this kind of heat ran the risk of depleting Dick’s energy to the point where he’d be no use in a fight.

What Dick really needed was for Jason to wake up. Without the NBA in the anesthetic, the effects of the drug shouldn’t last as long. It had already been a little over half an hour since Jason had been dosed, and since he wasn’t being fed multiple doses of anesthesia, he would probably be pretty close to being conscious.

Only one way to find out.

“Hey.” Dick got on his knees and leaned towards his brother, gently tapping his hand against Jason’s cheek. “Hood. Jay lad. Annoying pain in my ass. Hey. Hey. You awake?”

Jason carried on sleeping like a log, not having moved a muscle. Dick sat back on his haunches and sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes in frustration. He was clearly going to need another plan.

But first, he took another look outside the hole to make sure they were still in the clear. Blue eyes scanned the tree line and found nothing unusual or out of place. Just the same old forest.

Despite the distinct lack of androids, Dick was beginning to feel restless. He’d already wasted enough time hiding here. No doubt the androids were minutes away from their location unless their maker had called them back at some point. And if Dick couldn’t run from them, maybe he could trap them?

There wasn’t much for him to work with in terms of supplies and weapons. If he’d been given the whole day, he could’ve set up some booby traps. If he’d gotten the chance to return to the plane, he could’ve grabbed some useful explosives or tech.

There was no time for that now. All he had was his escrima sticks, wingdings, grapple gun, and some smoke pellets. What else was around here that could be useful to him? He thought back to the research he had done on this environment before the mission. He had a general idea of where the trees thinned out the most and where the closest houses were. But he needed something a little more useful. Something that could help him blow up a bunch of metal. Something like…

“The river!” Dick said excitedly.

“Ngh…”

Dick’s head shot up so fast, he nearly smacked his head into the rock. He barely noticed, eyes now locked on the slight fluttering of Jason’s eyelashes. It was another minute before Jason’s eyes slowly blinked open, revealing blue eyes that were glazed over. He let out a sleepy exhale through his nose.

“Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey, kiddo,” Dick said while tweaking Jason’s nose.

If Jason was more coherent, Dick knew he would’ve gotten his finger bitten off for that. As it was, Jason could barely do anything more than blink in confusion. Dick could already tell by the way Jason’s eyes were drooping that Jason was simply too groggy to speak.

“You’re going to fall back asleep on me, aren’t you?”

Jason scrunched his face up as if annoyed that he had to listen to Dick’s voice. Seconds later, he was out like a light, just as Dick predicted.

That was the exact moment when the birds went silent and the clanking of metal thundered in the distance.

[thaimassagegreenock]

How to Use a Foam Roller

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{Tutorials|Some self-help training} {and|&} {helpful|useful|interesting|important} {updates|up-dates|posts|tips|info|information} on {staying healthy|being healthy|healthy living} {with|through} {Thai Massage|Thai Oil Massage}.

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Foam rollers are very popular these days. Places like Target and Walmart carry them. Grandmas and grandpas are foam rolling. Doctors are prescribing them. What began as a niche mobility tool used only by the most obscure fitness nerds has become commonplace. But if you want to get the most value out of your foam roller—and avoid doing any damage—you need to learn how to use it correctly. It’s not as simple as “rolling” on it. There’s an art to it. And a science.

But before we get into how to use a foam roller, let’s go over what a foam roller is actually doing (and not doing).

What Foam Rolling Does (and Doesn’t) Do

is not physically breaking up knots or muscle adhesions.

Foam rolling is also not lengthening the tissue like you’re rolling out a slab of dough. Research shows that foam rolling doesn’t physically stretch or lengthen the muscle.

Instead, foam rolling seems to relax the nervous system. It works through neuromuscular connections rather than brute force physical modification. After foam rolling an area while moving that tissue, your nervous system has determined that this is the proper, safe range of motion for you. Foam rolling gives you a short opportunity to establish a new “safe” pattern. Rather than physical adhesions, it’s removing neuromuscular blocks and harmful patterns. You reset the system and reprogram it, or leave it open to reprogramming with better movement.

Foam rolling might also works through something called diffuse noxious inhibitory control, or DNIC. When a tissue hurts, it’s because your nervous system has decided that inhibiting movement in that area (through pain) is safer and better for you than allowing movement through that area. But sometimes, the nervous system decides to blunt the pain because it’s safer and better for you to move it than remain motionless. Consider a soldier taking a big wound in battle. He’s grievously wounded, but extreme pain would only prevent him from making it to safety. The nervous system blunts the pain so he can make it back alive. The foam roller may be doing something similar.

How to Use a Foam Roller

Relax into the roller; don’t tense up.

This can be tough to pull off because by its very nature, foam rolling is uncomfortable. Painful, even. But here’s what happens when you tense up: your body fights the healing effect the foam roller is supposed to have on you.

You should be able to breathe easily and normally. If you’re holding your breath, that indicates a stress response. You’re probably going too hard or being too tense.

Don’t grimace. Don’t grit your teeth. Try to smile, or at least maintain a neutral facial expression. Any outward expression of pain and discomfort will register with your nervous system. What you’re trying to do here is reassure your body that you can handle the pain, that the pain isn’t all that bad, and the tissue can start feeling better.

Stay at a spot until it stops hurting.

If you’re rushing through your foam rolling session, skipping over areas because they “hurt too much,” you are missing the point. Instead of avoiding the pain, you need to seek out and sit with the pain. Once you find a tender spot, stay there for at least a minute or until the pain subsides.

Explore range of motion while sitting on a tender spot.

When you roll your quads and find a tight, tender spot, stay on that spot and then extend and flex your knee through its full range of motion. This seems to make foam rolling more effective than if you were to just stay on the spot with zero movement through the knee.

Focus on one large area per session.

You’re not going to effectively hit your entire body in a single session. There’s not enough time for that. Instead, focus on one large area— your legs, your glutes, your calves, your hamstrings, your pecs, your thoracic spine—and do a great job there. Be thorough and take your time. You can focus on another section during the next session.

Do not foam roll bones.

Bones should not be foam rolled. It doesn’t help. It’s totally pointless. Foam rolling is intended for soft tissue application only.

Do not foam roll your spine. 

You can and should foam roll the lumbar muscles running on either side of your spine, but you should not roll the actual spinal column itself. As a bone, it doesn’t respond well to foam rolling, and it can actually irritate and hurt you.

Don’t foam roll the site of the pain; foam roll the tissues around it.

If your knee hurts, foam rolling the knee itself probably won’t help. If your calves hurt, foam rolling the calves isn’t the answer.

You need to go above and below the affected tissue. Keep rolling the tissues around the painful area, working your way above and below until you find the tender spot.

Use a lacrosse ball (or two taped together) for harder to reach areas.

The foam roller doesn’t work as well on every muscle or tissue. Hamstrings, the TFL, the pecs, and specific points in the thoracic spine seem to respond much better to lacrosse balls. They offer more direct, targeted pressure and can really get deep in there.

Foam roll before workouts to increase range of motion.

Foam rolling before your workout is better for range of motion and performance, especially if you take advantage of the open “movement window” and move. Foam roll, do some mobility drills to take advantage of the window, then get to training.

Foam roll after workouts to reduce muscle soreness and improve performance.

Studies show that foam rolling after training reduces subsequent muscle soreness and maintains performance (where it would otherwise suffer). I can see foam rolling being very effective for athletes who need to quickly get back into training after a workout or competition.

But overall, if you keep all these concepts in mind, foam rolling is pretty easy to do and very versatile. Happy rolling!

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References

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source https://thaimassagegreenock.co.uk/how-to-use-a-foam-roller/

[wandering-soul-links]

What is DNS? - Dr. Ryan Hamm

DNS is a treatment, exercise and rehabilitation method that reprograms the brain to restore posture, stability and movement throughout the body. The DNS approach is so groundbreaking and has such a powerful influence on improving movement that it has been integrated into the exercise and rehabilitation programs of olympic and professional level athletes. 

DNS exercises are a vital part of the treatment program. They are performed in developmental positions, the same positions in which the movement program was originally “written.” 

[bodyalive]

Is Psoas REALLY the cause of our low back pain?

Some say YES; lengthen Psoas when it is short, it’s torquing the spine. TRUE a short Psoas will torque the spine…But does that Psoas test strong? What if it’s locked short due to weakness? Do we still lengthen it?

Some say Psoas is primarily expressive of emotional stress.

TRUE that it activates with the Sympathetic Nervous System SNS. But did emotional stress start the issue or does the torque in the spine create tension in one branch of Psoas and reflex into the psycho-emotional system due to the stress on the spine.

In my experience it can go either way: Emotional Stress can cause expressive shortening of our extensor muscles along the spine (low back and neck primarily and the Psoas simultaneously). But physical torque in the spine can cause subliminal stress resulting in psycho-emotional tension which is often resolved by eliminating the physical tensions without engaging the psychological system.

When people tell me about their psychological issues I have to tell them "not my area of expertise" but anxiety is real and real physical dysfunctional coordination creates stress on the system that creates anxiety.

Have you noticed that people's levels of anxiety go down with the bodywork you do?

Can you see the horizontal branch of the Psoas on the right side that attaches to L5? What do you you suppose that branch does and how would you muscle test it?

We may not get all this answered in Mod 1 NMR July 19 - 21st but we will be well on our way to resolving issues related to the Psoas, Iliacus, Pectineus, Rec Fem, QL, Erectors, Hamstrings etc etc etc.

[Jocelyn Olivier]

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

How to Reduce Tension in the Back of Your Neck and Shoulders

Did you know you can reduce tensions in the back of your neck and shoulders by Breathing Out through the Pores of Your Skin into the Space behind your neck and shoulders?

In the 7 Laws of Huna Healing from ancient Hawaii, they say “Where your attention goes, that’s where your energy flows".

We have 2 kinds of attention: Focused Attention and Spatial Attention. Focused Attention uses all of our attention in one direction.

The word “Attention” has the word “Tension” within it. When we pay intense attention to something, we amplify our tension. We over focus. Focused attention moves our energy forward, the attention of hypervigilance.

Breathing out through the back of the body moves energy backward, inviting and enabling a more spacious awareness. This moves our energy out beyond our body and promotes the good peripheral circulation that accompanies relaxation. You can feel your limbs and periphery getting warmer. This is a self-tuning way to access the Parasympathetic nervous system or PNS.

Hyper-vigilance or a dominance of the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) contracts muscles throughout your body and contracts circulation from the periphery to the core to protect the survival of the organs.

You can control your own energetic state and level of muscle tension using Breathing as a vehicle for moving your energy into the space beyond your body.

(Jocelyn Olivier). [Neuromuscular Reprogramming]

[barre2barresg]

Interview with Inner Work Coach: Delphine Supanya

Barre 2 Barre is excited to host Delphine Supanya for her upcoming workshop series: Post-Pregnancy Neuromuscular Reboot. In preparation for the two special sessions we will share with her on September 22 and 29, we interviewed Delphine to discover more about her practice and journey to becoming an inner work coach. Read on to learn about Delphine, and join us for these next two healing Saturdays. 

Tell us about your journey to becoming a meditation and inner work facilitator. 

I started meditating when I was around three years old. I grew up in a Vipassana Buddhist family and we practiced chanting and meditation daily. I particularly liked the ceremony around prayer- not in a religious sense, but in the way that it taught me to 1) check in with myself every morning and evening, 2) set positive intentions for the day and 3) express gratitude for any experience or lessons learned. This taught me to “check-in with myself” on a physical and emotional level and has helped me greatly in cultivating a sense of awareness from a very young age.

Meditation became an even bigger part of my life when I started to experience chronic pain due to the neurological illnesses I had to live with. This is when I started to explore the realm of meditation techniques (outside of the ones taught through vipassana) and discovered that meditation can be the simplest thing I practice seamlessly throughout the day - whether in stillness, during an activity such as a physical practice, or while eating, walking, picking my fruits and vegetables out at the store, and even while having a conversation. Meditation became my tool to manage anything that would cause emotional, energetic and physical imbalance or misalignment. Over the years, I fine-tuned my practices and found myself combining different meditation techniques to fit any situation or challenge I was facing. These are tools I enjoy sharing with the world now. 

One of the gifts or as I like to call them “side-effects” of having a meditation practice is that it teaches you to focus. It is not about emptying the mind at all but setting your attention (using the mind) on something very specific. We talk about Formula 1 drivers or rock climbers entering a meditative state of focus - it is the same thing. Until two years ago, I was in a state of chronic and often debilitating pain. Meditation helped me bring my focus to the task of completing five law degrees in three countries and working as an international lawyer in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment. I came to truly understand the concept of “Mind Over Matter” and the Mind-Spirit connection. 

My path to becoming an inner work facilitator started when I emerged on the other side of a Near-Death Experience or NDE. I was recovering from post-stroke paralysis and understood that the Body is an integral part of the human experience, and that the “Mind Over Matter” and Mind-Spirit connections were not sustainable for healthy living. It was through deep Inner Work that I was serendipitously forced to reconnect with my Body and understood the Mind-Body-Spirit connection. This is when everything shifted within me and I used what I now call Inner Voyage Integration, Neuromuscular and Somatic Movement practices and Yin Yang Nutrition to fully recover from paralysis, reverse years of chronic disease, eradicate pain from my life, restore my eyesight, and become healthy enough to be able to conceive a child again. All we need to heal lies somewhere within us. It is now my joy to facilitate others into finding themselves and their own path to self-healing and expansion. Everyone deserves and is capable of living a vibrant, joy-filled life. 

Could you describe/explain a few of the therapy modalities you practice?

Meditation 

Through meditation and hypnotherapy, we address specific areas of the human psyche to kick-start the body’s natural ability to self-heal and change the structure of the brain. I like to combine a multitude of meditation practices that I have come to experience and integrate over the last twenty-five years. The variety of methods reflects the variety of situations and states we experience as human beings on a daily basis. It is easier to reach a meditative state once we have experienced it for a prolonged period of time (25 to 60 minutes). As practice makes master, I then advise to practice 60 second meditation series throughout the day. These short meditations can be prolonged but are initially very efficient to reduce stress by achieving balance and alignment anytime, anywhere. We are naturally able to seamlessly integrate meditation into our lives. In the 21st century, it is no longer required to join a monastery to learn how to live mindfully and holistically.

Inner Voyage Integration

Inner Voyage Integration (IVI) is a deep meditation practice which I facilitate during private sessions. It combines several of the most effective practices I have learned, experienced and integrated. IVI reestablishes communication pathways between the mind, body, and spirit in the gentlest manner to reactivate the human’s self-healing capabilities from the inside out. It addresses the physical, psycho-somatic, emotional, and energetic aspects of your being and has been described as “one of the most rapid and accessible approaches to transformation and healing". This is the method through which I recovered from paralysis, reversed disease, and improved my life in all ways. I continue to witness everyday how effective it is at changing people’s lives as much as it has changed mine. 

Neuromuscular Reboot

On the physical side, I also practice Neuromuscular Reboot (NMR), an easy to remember tool that can be applied anytime anywhere and only takes 15 to 30 minutes to practice and 2 to 3 hours to learn. NMR is a series of exercises which lay the foundation for a connected, efficient, leaner and stronger physique. If you wonder how athletes and dancers get the tone in their muscles, it is through neuromuscular therapy. My teacher, Melvin Hart, and I have taken this approach further by combining it with neuromuscular reprogramming to enable a full body reset (on a physical, neurological, emotional and energetic level). This method is so beautifully efficient to kick start a balanced and healthy lifestyle and any movement practice. We practice it everyday ourselves first thing in the morning and as part of our warm-up before any physical activity. 

What keeps you motivated to continue on your path as an inner work teacher? What are some changes you have seen in your clients that inspire you and reaffirm the power of your practice? And specifically with pain and pre-natal complications?

It is such a privilege to witness such deep transformations and self-healing. It has become my daily job to assist people in finding themselves and coaching them through their own evolutionary process. To me it is about reintroducing magic and awe into our lives and witnessing how rediscovering that changes people on a deep level. It is the most beautiful experience when someone rediscovers that all they need to find happiness has been residing within them all this time. The path to healing anything is through inner work and self-love. I enjoy accompanying others on that path very much. 

I have seen people who were in pain for years walk out of a session pain-free and come back to learn how to maintain that state. Some are even learning the technique now and facilitating other people through this process. 

One pregnant woman came to me as she was considering sewing her cervix due to complications during her second term. After one session together, all her bleeding stopped and she delivered a healthy boy through a beautiful natural birth. The work clients like her do extends to after birth as well, as parents are more and more interested in maintaining all things magical throughout their child’s education. 

I learn so much witnessing such deep transformations and we create such meaningful connections. I have seen hundreds of people in the past two years and look forward to assisting anyone who feels called to evolve and transcend what has been limiting their happiness. 

What is your experience in working specifically with mothers?

For the last two years I have worked with mothers and mothers-to-be, before and after birth. 

Through the inner work, the mother gets to connect very deeply with her infant in-utero and interact with it before it is born. It is one of my greatest joys to facilitate such experiences and see how a mother connects and interacts with her child. The inner work also helps greatly with any pre-birth complication such heavy bleeding, low-lying placenta, or ectopic pregnancy. 

This year, and especially since I experienced a miscarriage myself, I have been assisting more women with physical, emotional, and energetic recovery after birth. To clarify, by birth I mean any birthing constellation - namely birth, miscarriage, abortion, and false birth. Having experienced the physiological and emotional changes myself, I developed an easy to practice post-pregnancy program that aims to deeply reconnect a woman to herself while benefitting from a physical upgrade. I have come to understand, through my own experience and observing other women, that pregnancy is not only the birthing of a child, but also the birth of a stronger and more connected version of oneself. There are not enough programs for mothers that address the physical, emotional, and energetic realities that are all part of the experience, which is why I created the Post-Pregnancy Neuro-muscular Reboot workshop series. 

Could you share one or two simple but effective tips anyone could incorporate into their daily lives to manage stress or anxiety? 

My favourite tools to manage stress and anxiety are the following: 

Tool 1: Check-in Body Scan 

Take 60 seconds a day to sit down, close your eyes and do a quick body scan. Scan your body from the top of your head all the way down to your toes, notice and acknowledge how you feel on a physical level (tension points, sore points, points which feel good), on an emotional level (am I angry, frustrated, stressed? anxious?) and on an energetic level (I am tired, I am energized, I am so-so). Whatever it is, I invite you to notice and name those sensations. We lead such busy lives, and we do not take enough time to check in with ourselves and notice how we feel and where we are at. The simple act of acknowledging a state of being is already very healing as what we are doing in that very moment is being present. Once we name the sensation, it has been felt, noticed, acknowledged, and it can now move into the past, i.e. no longer affects us on an unconscious level. This will reduce your level of stress, irritation, and anxiety. The best part with this practice is that during those 60 seconds, you meditated. 

Tool 2: Smile 

Take another 60 to 180 seconds a day (several times a day if you can) after the Check-in Body Scan to smile. Make the biggest full-toothed smile you can muster, feel your cheeks extend to almost touch your ears, and feel your eyes move diagonally towards the top of your head. Once you are there keep the smile and breathe. You can do this with your eyes closed or opened, in front of a mirror, and anytime, anywhere. Smiling releases pleasure hormones called endorphins, which are natural painkillers, and antidepressant hormones such as serotonin. It not only reduces stress but also boosts the immune system. Once you are done smiling, take a few seconds to notice how much better you feel and take that newfound sense of self and joy to continue your day in a more beautiful manner. 

[bodyalive]

Key Take Aways from NMR Mod 1

1. More than one muscle can cause a coordination problem to persist. Those compensation muscles that came on board to help you ‘get by’ can become part of the problem. Or, as Deepak Chopra was reported to say: "Muscles that fire together, wire together."

2. Preparing the client to benefit from bodywork is essential to getting great results with muscle testing and with bodywork in general. Both client and therapist must be in a parasympathetic state for best results.

3. Never release deep muscle tensions without first providing big muscle support. Those deep muscles are tight for a reason. If you ‘dig them out’ you may destabilize someone’s body.

4. Engage passive ROM to find the exact right position and alignment for a muscle test.

5. Stay out of the pain zone when challenging muscle engagement.

[Jocelyn Olivier]

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Success Treating Migraine -- How to Treat it

A client came in whom I've worked with a lot. Her spine has many twists and turns from multiple falls being an equestrian for 25 years. At this point, in her 60's she's experiencing a lack of energy and general difficulty putting on muscle. Migraines are part of the picture.

I've worked with her sub-occipital rotators before but they haven't stayed corrected. The migraines are less frequent but not gone. What else am I missing? Clients who present with complex problems are my favorite these days because they make me think and learn new things. Sometimes I have to relearn something....

A major area of instability in many people's spine is at the base of the rib cage where the lumbar spine is vulnerable to torque injuries. A left torque will create weakness down the medial side of the opposite leg and up into the back of the opposite shoulder and also inhibit the ability to twist the spine to the right. Often this will be accompanied by an inability to get the 'push reflex' to work through the left leg. All these events are predictable and repeatable. If you don't correct that fundamental torque, the problems will recur.

The work the client does at home is crucial.

I corrected the sub-occipitals then had my client fire off the left lumbar preferred rotation. I then rechecked the neck and the correction I had done minutes ago was gone. I released the left lumbar at the T12, L1 junction, training the spine to be able to rotate right without using the left back extensors to push it. (Yes, your back extensors will get active in rotation if your rotators don't work.) After releasing the left QL and Extensors at T12/L1 I retested the sub-occipitals and they were testing strong. I ran the same tests twice through to double check. Yup, doing fine.

I saw that client again today. I ask how the Migraines were since our new discovery. SHE HADN'T HAD A MIGRAINE IN FOUR MONTHS. Miracle! When I retested the left lumbar rotations to the sub-occipitals no errors occurred in the firing patterns. No muscles 'switched off', a term used for muscles that fail to respond reliably when muscle tested.

For those of you who know muscle testing, you can test the preferred lumbar rotation against the cervical rotations and release the lumbar to correct the cervical inhibitions. Pictured here are 2 of the major players in lumbar rotation: QL and Serratus Posterior Inferior SPI, (a very important player which opposes the full expansion of the back of the diaphragm. Frequently locked short following past falls which ‘knocked your breath out’). These short tight muscles end up inhibiting the sub-occipitals on the opposite side.

A major area of instability in many people's spine is at the base of the rib cage where the lumbar spine is vulnerable to torque injuries. A left torque will create weakness down the medial side of the opposite leg and up into the back of the opposite shoulder and also inhibit the ability to twist the spine to the right. Often this will be accompanied by an inability to get the 'push reflex' to work through the left leg. All these events are predictable and repeatable. If you don't correct that fundamental torque, the problems will recur. If you don't address the secondary relationship between suboccipital torque and Thoraco/Lumbar torque, the problems will recur.

What is the role of Serratus Posterior Inferior? I looked up an image of it. It's a lot more superficial than I thought.

This lovely strong muscle the Serratus Posterior Inferior ties our lowest ribs to our spine. When you take a blow to your back and get the ‘wind knocked out of you’ this muscle contracts and frequently doesn’t let go. SPI is superficial compared to the QL, another prime suspect for being ‘frozen’ tight = always a culprit when someone’s ‘back went out’, along with the Quadratus Lumborum on that same side.

Jocelyn Olivier :: Founder :: Neuromuscular Reprogramming

[rodrigohyde]

Why (and how) you should work out with a weighted vest

Weighted vests look pretty much like battle armor, and you normally see them on guys who make a point to pant loud enough for the entire gym to hear.

So yes, it’s really easy to write off weight vests as pretentious overkill. (And in some cases, they might be.) But while they're definitely for the intense gym heroes among us, weight vests can, in fact, make you stronger and faster—as long you use them right.

[RELATED1]

“Training with a weighted vest can be super-beneficial for power athletes or Olympic lifters, especially on moves like squat jumps or box jumps to build strength and explosive power,” says Darin Hulslander, C.S.C.S., the head of This is Performance, a Chicago-based training studio with online programs.

When training with weight vests is productive

First, it’s worth asking: Do weighted vests actually improve conditioning or performance in the long run? The research is pretty mixed. Some studies suggest training with the added resistance can improve VO2max, speed, and time to exhaustion, while other studies have found it doesn’t do much more than training without. Look at the greater body of research, and there are simply too many variables across experiments—weight used, and length/frequency/type of training done in the vest—to say conclusively whether weight vests make for better athletes.

Set aside the science for a moment, though: Trainers love weight vests for two key scenarios: cardio work and bodyweight exercises.

“Nothing will spike your heart rate quicker than wearing a weighted vest and climbing on a treadmill or stairmaster,” says Joel Seedman, Ph.D., owner of Advanced Human Performance in Atlanta.

Hulslander agrees: “My athletes who wear [a weight vest] typically hit a heart rate 3–5% higher when doing both power or aerobic work in a vest than they do without.”

[RELATED2]

Vests load weight directly to your shoulders and upper body, meaning they’re especially taxing for your respiratory muscles—the diaphragm and deep intercostals. This causes your heart rate to skyrocket way faster, but it also makes it quite difficult to breathe. Some people can’t handle this and start to panic, Seedman points out. But, he adds, learning to stay calm when you can’t quite breathe normally can become an exercise in improving autonomic nervous function and learning how to activate your parasympathetic system to counter that fight-or-flight response.

Plus, there’s a payoff: Learn to stay cool and you won’t have to perform such intense conditioning to rev your heart as high. “You get the calorie burn and bump in metabolism without going quite as hard,” Seedman says.

[RELATED6]

You can certainly get after sprints if you’re itching for some masochism. But even just walking or hill climbing while wearing a weight vestcan elicit a powerful calorie burn and eat up your legs, Hulslander adds.

The other reason trainers love the weight vest: It turns bodyweight drills into grueling strength-builders. “You could argue the vest is the most efficient way to perform loaded moves, because all the weight is closer to your natural center of gravity—compared to, say, doing pullups with plates hanging from a dip belt below you,” Seedman says.

Most people can actually handle more weight up top than hanging from their waist since the resistance is better displaced across the chest. What’s more, that same factor that makes it harder to breathe—the vest’s pressure against the back and shoulders—means your nervous system is forced to fire those muscles more aggressively, which may contribute to the same weight feeling like less work.

[RELATED3]

Weight vests are also helpful in scenarios where your individual strength may exceed your grip strength. “If I have a guy who is ready to move up from 100-lb farmer’s walks but it’s hard for him to hold anything heavier, I’ll load 40lbs onto his chest and have him carry the rest,” Seedman says. Same goes for moves like split squats or regular squats during which you can’t properly hold a barbell or dumbbell long enough or without pain, Hulslander adds.

And sure, the weight vest offers no real advantage in upper-body isolation exercises, like biceps curls or bench press. But both trainers agree their top drills to do with a weighted vest are pushups, dips, inverted or TRX rows, split squats, split lunges, and regular squats, and lunges.

The risks of training with a weight vest

Working out with a weighted vest can be risky if you’re not conditioned for it, don’t have proper form locked in, or if you wear it too long.

If you’re cheating to do standard bodyweight pullups or your hips sag during pushups—if you haven’t mastered the basics, essentially—you’re just asking for an injury by adding weight of any form, including a vest, Hulslander says. “I’ve seen a lot of lower-back injuries from people throwing weight on their backs when they don’t have basic pushups down yet.” He adds that anyone with tight neck muscles, poor posture, or any sort of back history should avoid it until they’ve built up strength and form.

The other issue with the additional resistance: Adding weight during a workout focused on speed, explosiveness, or agility can change your center of gravity and creates a different angle of body lean, which can alter your natural biomechanics, Seedman says. “Even if it doesn’t change mechanics externally in a way that throws off your form and increases injury risk, it can alter your neuromuscular firing patterns if you wear the vest too much,” he explains. “Your body gets used to the unique leverage and weight distribution from the vest and when you take it off, it’s neuromuscularly confusing and your body has to recalibrate.”

The way to circumvent the latter risk? “Post-activation potentiation protocol,” Seedman says. In essence: The small changes in your muscles and neuron activity that come with heavy loading can lead to greater explosive performance for 2 to 20 minutes after you remove the weight.

[RELATED4]

It works like this: You hop on the treadmill and hit one or two sprints hard with a weighted vest. Then, you ditch the vest and start in on normal sprints. “The weight isn’t on your body long enough to start reprogramming your nervous system or biomechanics, but it is long enough to trick the nervous system and body into thinking you still have resistance on you, so the weightless sprints will feel like you’re flying,” Seedman explains.

How to train with a weight vest

You shouldn’t throw on a vest unless you’ve mastered the basics, both experts agree.

Before you hit the treadmill with it on, try Hulslander’s test: Bike for five minutes as intensely as you can. Then, count your heart rate and don’t move for one minute. “A well-trained client should see a 40-beat-per-minute drop in their heart rate. At minute two, they should see another 25- to 30-beat drop,” he says. If your count doesn’t yield this, work your way up before throwing on a vest.

If you pass these tests, start very light and very slow. “Just taking a long walk with a weight vest will tax the back and trap muscles pretty good, since these are the primary stabilizers keeping the vest upright,” Hulslander says.

[RELATED7]

If you’re just going after cardio conditioning—speed and explosive movements—start with 5% of your bodyweight and aim to build up to 10% over time. You can keep the vest on for the entire low- to moderate-intensity cardio session. “You only need to worry about altered biomechanics for explosive speed and power work, as that's where technique plays a big role—not so much during steady-state cardio,” Seedman adds.

If you’re looking to don a vest for strength, explosive speed, or power work, condition with the vest on the treadmill first, Seedman says. That way, you can acclimate to the added diaphragmatic pressure and spiking heart rate, and learn to control your breath at a low intensity.

Once you’re ready to look at bodyweight exercises, be sure you can complete 3 sets of 10 reps of the move, all with perfect form. Then, start with 5% to 10% of your bodyweight on your chest. Over time, aim to build up to 20% to 25% of your bodyweight, Seedman advises.

Keep in mind: Whenever you’re wearing the vest, no matter what kind of exercise, your rest periods should be a little longer between moves because you won’t catch your breath quite as quickly, Seedman points out. And if you feel like your form is off or your technique is changing (that biomechanical alteration Seedman was talking about earlier), take off the vest and finish your set without it.

[RELATED5]

Cardio workouts

from Men's Fitness https://www.mensfitness.com/training/pro-tips/why-and-how-you-should-work-out-weighted-vest

[infofit]

Think Differently About Movement. A Functional Meditation Lecture In this one hour lecture learn from former BC Lion, Calgary Stampeder, and Chiropractor, Dr Jeff Almon, DC, CSCS. Dr Almon will teach you about the Ground Control functional meditation protocol. Dr Almon will explain how we can reprogram our brains to better process pain inputs in order to diminish chronic pain and re-establish proper motor control to affected areas. This reprogramming results in diminished pain and better movement patterns. Dr Almon will explain the benefits for Personal Trainers to use Ground Control protocol with their injured clients You will learn: How the brain can change itself: what is Neuroplasticity How the brain controls movement and pain perceptions: Neuroscience Infant movement patterns and development How they all link together into Ground Control class Everyone will go through all the 6 positions of Ground Control as Dr Almon explains them in detail. You will learn the benefits of each position and what type of injuries/conditions they target. By the end of this lecture you will have a better understanding of the basic principles of neuroscience and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization, as well as how the Ground Control exercise protocol works. Finally learn what type of patient issues/injuries this “functional mediation” can help with pain relief. Leave with a greater awareness of how you can use Ground Control to relieve pain. Date/Time: February 22nd, 6pm – 7pm Location: #105 – 1687 West Broadway, Vancouver BC Admission: $10 604-683-0785 to register http://ift.tt/2jkR3yN

[bodyalive]

Here are some take aways from Mod 1 NMR.

There will be a free demo of NMR in Duluth on June 30 from 3 - 5 pm. The address is on the flyer. See attached.

These were sent by a student after beginning the study of NMR.

1. Whatever accommodations or compensation a person has, they are not necessarily the cause of the weakness that required them to overwork. THAT ACCOMMODATION is not necessarily the source of the problem! Beware of assumptions. Ie., It’s tight therefore it is ‘causing’ the inhibition I am seeing. Keep looking. Sometimes you will be peeling through the layers of time because indeed a tight muscle WILL be producing inhibitions, but perhaps not be the cause of the inhibition that required it be become tight in the first place.

2. If we can’t get a muscle to let go with our massage treatments it’s because the body views the tension pattern as necessary- This is why Deep Tissue is met with so much energetic resistance. ABA is better because it changes the functional relationship with the neuromuscular system. Once all muscles are facilitated (even for a temporary time), the body will simply relax it’s coping strategies and an surprising opening in ROM and softening in tissue rigidity will occur that makes the tissue work SO MUCH EASIER.

3. We can’t see the blind spot in our visual fields- we can’t feel the kinesthetic ‘blind spots’ in the body.

4. Body collapses into long held distortions/compensations/old habits as we age. If not addressed our patterns will become more and more visible as we age.

5. Massage clients (people in general) don’t heal because they have a lack of down regulation, ie., the parasympathetic nervous system can’t turn on, the client is always in a state of hyper-arousal. Healing of tissues and learning of new strategies happens in the activation of the Parasympathetic nervous system.

True Dat!

Jocelyn Olivier