14Mar

A Core Circuit for the Whole Trunk

March 14, 2023 CJ Murphy 35

Many people think “core” exclusively means abs, and that abs means crunches. In reality, the core is a myriad of muscles involved in the stabilization of the lumbar (lower) spine, hips, and ribcage. Someone could design a core circuit around trying to train each of those muscles individually. However, functionally it is rare that any core muscle works in isolation without the assistance of nearby muscles. Therefore, the circuit we’re outlining today isn’t about individual muscles, but functions of the core that will train the entire trunk.

Lying Leg Raises

Lying leg raises involve flexion of both the lumbar spine and hip flexors. Don’t worry if you feel this more in the thighs/hips than in the core. This just means your hip flexors are the weakest link in the chain and need to be trained as well. Fortunately, that’s something this exercise does an amazing job of!

Stability Ball Crunches

Bottom position of a stability ball crunch. Hands should be lightly placed on the side of the head so as to prevent tugging on the neck.

Top position of the stability ball crunch. Any higher would be considered a sit-up, and involve more hip flexors than abdominals.

Stability ball crunches also involve flexion of the spine, but this time moving the ribcage instead of the hips. These have 2 distinct advantages over traditional crunches on the floor:

The positioning on the stability ball allows for a longer stretch and increased range-of-motion for the abdominals, and
The stability ball provides an unstable environment compared to the floor, forcing other muscles to stabilize.

Banded Pallof Press

Palloff press is an excellent way to safely train spinal rotation via the method of anti-rotation, or actively resisting a rotational force. The obliques stabilize the spine, while resistance and instability are created through the change in the length of the band.

Suitcase Carry

The Suitcase Carry is similar to the Pallof Press, but instead of training the obliques by anti-rotation it trains the obliques by anti-bending.

Bird Dog

While some people may think of Bird-Dog as a yoga pose, Bird-Dog is an excellent way to train the low back, an often overlooked aspect of trunk training. The ability to maintain a truly neutral spine while fighting the forces of your outstretched limbs is harder than it appears. Be honest with yourself, are those hips rotating?

Dead Bug

Dead Bug is the abdominal counterpart to Bird-Dog’s low back training, and a way to train spinal flexion while including both of the bottom and top half of the lumbar spine. Differently then our previous exercises that trained spinal flexion, the positioning of the body allows for the abdominals to be worked while keeping the torso in a completely neutral position.

Cat Cow

In cat, focus on pushing through the floor, tucking your hips underneath you, and elongating the spine.

In Cow/Camel, focus on hips up, shoulders together, and letting the spine relax.

All of the exercises above are focused on spinal stability, which fits into the alternating pattern of stability and mobility on a joint-by-joint basis. However, constantly flexing a muscle group without providing it with some mobility and reprieve leaves the possibility of restricted mobility that can result in discomfort. Cat Cow is a great exercise that leaves the spine mostly unloaded, gently taking it through a larger range-of-motion and facilitating reasonable mobility.

While the exercises above make an all-encompassing core circuit, this list certainly isn’t exhaustive. Modifications for injury/discomfort, progressions based on ease of completion, and variety of exercises are things that can be explained by certified professionals, ideally within the scope of a larger exercise program. To set up a Free Initial Session with one of our certified trainers, click here.

31Jan

Beginner-Friendly Hip Mobility

January 31, 2023 CJ Murphy 51

Welcome back to the mobility and stability series! Being the first ball-and-socket joint in the series, the hip mobility has a lot of nuance that can be explored. That being said, the vast majority of these muscles and functions can be addressed with just five basic stretches. Improving hip mobility is important to be able to safely perform and progress basic fitness functions such as squatting, lunging hinging or walking. Whether you’re doing these in-studio or at-home, all you’ll need is a stable surface about 20 inches off the ground, and a mat or folded towel for knee support.

Elevated Hamstring Stretch:

Standing, place your foot in front of you on the elevated surface. Maintaining a neutral spine, lean forward until you feel a gentle stretch in the hamstring. Hold this position for 30-60 seconds.

Muscles Stretched: Hamstrings

Elevated Adductor Stretch:

Standing, place your foot to the side of you with knee straight onto the elevated surface. You may already feel a stretch in this position, in which case just hold for 30-60 seconds. If not, press your hips back and your torso forward until a stretch is felt on the inner thigh, then hold.

Muscles Stretched: Adductor Muscles

Elevated Pigeon Stretch:

Place the outer part of your shin on the elevated surface so as to make a figure-four position. On a twenty-inch surface, take a seat with the opposite leg slightly behind you; on a higher surface, you can remain standing. Lean forward until you feel a stretch in the glute of the leg in figure-four. Hold this position for 30-60 seconds.

Muscles Stretched: Gluteal Muscles

Seated Alternating Internal/External Rotations

Take a seat on the ground, on your towel or mat if you have it nearby. Place your feet flat on the floor in front of you so that your knees are pointing upwards. Place your hands behind you to hold your upper body firmly in place. Keeping your heels in contact with the ground and your torso in place, move your legs together side-to-side in a windshield wiper pattern. Be sure that with each repetition, you allow the legs to travel as far as they’ll go so as to truly expand your range-of-motion. Complete a total of 30 repetitions.

Muscles Stretched: Gluteal Muscles, TFL, Adductor

Hip Flexor Stretch:

Go into a deep lunge with your back knee placed on the folded towel or mat on the floor. Straighten up your torso as tall as possible, and assess if a stretch is being felt on the front of the hip/thigh of the back leg. If not, inch the front foot forward and re-straighten the torso until a stretch at this spot is felt. Hold this position for 30-60 seconds; to enhance this stretch, additionally squeeze the glute of the hip being stretched.

Muscles Stretched: Rectus Femoris

While the vast majority of people will be able to improve their mobility by completing these stretches as instructed, you may have individual needs that need to be met such as mobility for specific and advanced movements, or the need to add bands for joint distraction. If you have a unique inquiry that you’d like to ask a fitness professional, contact us and schedule your Free Initial Session here.

17Nov

Squat Touchdowns: the Only Exercise Your Knees Need?

November 17, 2022 CJ Murphy 49

Knee stability is nearly entirely dependent on the mobility and strength of the ankles and hips. While we covered ankle mobility last week and will cover hip mobility next week, today we’ll discuss the three reasons why squat touchdowns can be the best fool-proof way to bullet-proof your knees.

Reason 1: Targeting the VMO

The quads are made up of four muscle bellies, the innermost being the VMO, or vastus medialis oblique. Strengthening of this specific muscle has been shown across studies to be associated with reductions in knee pain, and exercises where one leg is working at a time disproportionately target the VMO. While this could bode well for exercises such as split squats, lunges, or single-leg leg press, there are two more reasons why touch down squats may prove superior for most of the population.

Reason 2: Hard to Hide Mistakes

Another potential cause of knee pain can be the overburdening of the knee joint due to a lack of contribution from the hip muscles. Some key signs that this could be the case during a squat touchdown include the knee caving inward, the knee going far past the toe while the hip angle doesn’t change much, and a lack of feeling of engagement in the hip muscles while performing the exercise.

Knee caving inward on a touchdown squat from lack of hip strength/coordination.

Quad-dominant squat touchdown with little hip involvement.

Sometimes, something as simple as a cue from a supervising coach can be enough for someone to begin putting more of their weight into the hip. However, if this cognitive cue isn’t enough to create this change, this may be a sign that you should spend some time on targeted hip activation and/or strengthening.

Unilateral exercises in free space are the easiest exercises to help recognize these issues. While this still includes split squats and lunges as exercises that would appear viable for progressing knee stability and addressing knee pain, there’s one last trait that makes squat touch-downs my personal favorite for those purposes.

Reason 3: Easy to Progress and Regress

Touchdown squats aren’t typically progressed the same way that lunges and split squats should be, with additional weight and reps. Generally speaking, reps should be kept high (between 10 and 20 per leg) and the exercise should be left unweighted. To progress a touchdown squat, the main metric considered should be distance traveled per repetition, or the height of the apparatus being used. This means that progress is directly linked to the tolerable range-of motion of knee flexion, as well as the strength and mobility of the hip in increasingly difficult positions.

Alternatives?

If the weight of a single-leg squat at the height of a few inches can’t be tolerated, the single-leg leg press becomes a very viable alternative. This is due to the ability to weigh the leg press at a resistance much lighter than the weight of the body, and like the touchdowns the force on the leg is a compressive force (as opposed to the shear force provided by a leg extension). However, without the additional benefits provided by the touchdown squats, I recommend accompanying the leg press with targeted hip strengthening, such as the banded clamshell.

Knee stability is one key aspect of movement that helps promote both progress and longevity in fitness. This series will continue to follow Michael Boyle’s Joint-by-Joint approach, with hip mobility being the focus of next week’s article. If you want individualized guidance and accountability for your health and fitness, sign up here to schedule a Free Initial Session with one of our highly qualified personal trainers.

26Oct

Intro to Mobility and Stability: the Ankles

October 26, 2022 CJ Murphy 39

Stability and mobility are terms you may have seen used by fitness professionals and influencers, advertising certain exercises to help fix certain ailments or enhance certain aspects of your fitness. How do you know if these are movements that will be helpful to you? This series will help to put the concepts of mobility and stability into more context.

Mobility refers to the ability of a joint to move through a full range-of-motion actively. This is different but similar to flexibility, which refers to the ability of a joint to move through a full range-of motion passively.

A deep squat demonstrating hip mobility.

A hip stretch demonstrating hip flexibility.

These are both different then stability, which is a joint’s ability to maintain an optimal position, even against some resistance or in an unstable environment.

While all joints need some level of mobility and stability, Vladamir Janda took note that the joints seem to alternate between whether they require more stability or more mobility compared to the adjacent joints, an idea expanded up by Michael Boyle.

This pattern emerges in part because the movement patterns in mobile joints is what dictates the stability of the stable joints. For example, in a deep squat the mobility and proper movement of the hips and ankles is what allows for the stability of the knees. Limited external rotation, one important form of mobility in the hips, would lead to a squat with knee valgus, an unstable position that carries an increased risk of ACL tears.

Stable knees in a squat from mobile hips and ankles.

Unstable and caved in knees in a squat from hips with limited mobility.

In this series, we’ll discuss different movements for mobilizations and stabilizations at these joints, starting with the ankles.

Ankle Mobilizations

Lack of ankle mobility most commonly shows up in the inability of the knee to travel far past the toes during deep squatting motions. If during a deep squat you feel your heels come up off of the ground and feel a pinching sensation at the front of the ankle, this is likely the result of the bones of the foot being positioned in a way where they’re unable to glide smoothly. To fix this, we’re going to do a banded joint mobilization.

Have a band tied low the ground behind you, of about a two-inch thickness. Elevate your foot onto a plate, or something sturdy with a height of at least 1.5 inches. Wrap the band around the foot, very close to but just below the ankle joint. In a kneeling position, lean forward as far you can while keeping your heel planted on the plate. This stretch should be held for 30-60 seconds.

Another function of the ankles is to provide lateral movement. To train this, get into a deep squat while holding out a plate to offset your weight, and elbows pushing out your knees. Rock side to side to push the range of motion of each ankle both ways, 10 times each.

While the joint distraction also doubles as a stretch for the deep calf muscle, the soleus, your ankle mobility could be limited in some movements by the tightness of the gastrocnemius. To stretch this, place your toes as high as they’ll go with your heel on the ground while standing. Bring the knee as close to the wall as you can, and feel the stretch in the largest belly of the calf for 30-60 seconds.

Ankles need mobility, can they use any stability?

There is some value in training on unstable surfaces, such as a BOSU ball or a balance pad. The unstable surface will force every muscle in the body responsible for balance to activate in an attempt to stay upright, including the muscles surrounding the ankle. The ability of these muscles to activate and reinforce stability could lead to increased fortification for exercises that challenge the range of motion of the ankle, or rapid changes in directions in sports performance. This training also translates into balance during activities that actually provide unstable surfaces, such as different water sports where the athlete is standing on top of a device like a surfboard or sailboat.

Keep tuned to the website for our next article on knee stability, or start working with one of our educated professionals who can help you take advantage of this knowledge by clicking here.

26Sep

How to Exercise for Weight Loss

September 26, 2022 CJ Murphy 44

Exercise comes in many different forms, all of them with unique effects on your physiology, health and physique. Given such a wide variety of options, how does someone choose the right exercises and exercise types to optimize weight loss?

Resistance Training

While all exercise is going to involve some kind of resistance, here what we’re referring to is movements with enough resistance that they stimulate muscles to become larger and/or stronger. While these workouts might not immediately seem to impact weight loss, increases in muscle mass will raise your body’s basal metabolic rate, or calories that your body burns while inactive. Targeting increases in basal metabolic rate is arguably the most important consideration for weight loss, as basal metabolic rate is estimated to be responsible for 70% of all calories burned. In addition to increased muscle mass and basal metabolic rate, resistance training done properly also results in increased strength, bone density, and reduction in posture and poor movement based ailments.

HIIT Cardio

HIIT, or High-Intensity Interval Training, refers to cardiovascular exercise where heart rate is highly elevated for a set interval before being allowed to recover for another set interval. These workouts are uniquely equipped to burn more calories than any other form of exercise in the same span of time, which may be one reason why it also seems to be the most effective exercise intervention in the treatment of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of correlating conditions including high cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar, all of which are associated with obesity.

LISS Cardio

LISS cardio, or Low-Intensity Steady-State cardio, can be a vital piece of a weight-loss strategy. While this form of cardio doesn’t burn as many calories per session as HIIT, low intensity exercises are characterized as being easily accessible and measurable. For example, the average person burns 100 calories per mile walked, and walking can be done essentially anywhere anytime. 150 minutes a week of zone 2 cardio, where the heart rate is maintained at 70% of its maximum, is associated with a drastic decrease in all-cause mortality, and is recommended by the American Heart Association for that reason. However, some of these minutes can be replaced with time spent resistance training or partaking in HIIT workouts for similar effects.

So What’s the Solution for You?

For almost anyone, some mix of all of these will be included in a comprehensive weight-loss plan. These are also plans that will change with time given multiple considerations; poor posture and low cardiovascular capacity might mean starting with more resistance training before even including strenuous cardiovascular workouts, or a hectic work schedule might mean very frequent but short bouts of brisk walking.

For maximum educated guidance, motivation and accountability, click here to schedule a Free Initial Session to see how our team of professional trainers can best help you.

24Aug

Low Back Pain? Tight Hip Flexors? Here Are 3 Stretches to Help

August 24, 2022 Jessica Bottesch 42

If you’re experiencing low back pain, tightness in the hips, and posture where your hips seem to live angled behind your spine, you’re likely experiencing something called anterior pelvic tilt. Here, we’ll detail 3 stretches you can do to help alleviate that pain and bring comfort back into your day-to-day.

Hip Flexor Stretch

We’ll stretch what you came here for first, the hip flexors. To do so, get into a deep lunge with your knee touching the ground. If this is too uncomfortable, you may want to use a folded towel or yoga mat for support. Bring your torso upright. If you feel a stretch in the front of the back leg, you’re in the proper position! If not, take a step forward with the front foot, bring your torso upright, and repeat until you feel a stretch in the front of the back leg.

Each of the stretches detailed should be held for thirty seconds, on both sides of the body.

Adductor/Groin Stretch

The next stretch is in a similar kneeling position as our hip flexor stretch, but now with the front leg turned outward so as the stretch the adductors/groin area. Lean your body into the outreached leg, trying to keep torso upright. If you feel too much pressure in the groin area, have something in front of you to place your hands on and take some of the weight off.

While you might have not known these were tight, tightness in the adductors is incredibly common as a result of a sedentary lifestyle and weak glutes, one of the main muscles that requires strengthening in the treatment of anterior pelvic tilt.

“Lazy” Child’s Pose

Traditional Child’s Pose can be tricky for targeting the low back, so “Lazy” child’s pose is meant to make the job easier. Start in a kneeling position with your knees together. Sink your hips back, and lean your torso over your legs in front of you. Reach your arms out overhead on the floor.

Stretching Advice!

When it comes to stretching, frequency is your friend. Studies show that while there’s no difference in muscle length after a 30 second stretch compared to 1 minute stretch, there are substantial increases that come about via increased frequency those 30 second stretches. If your experiencing low back pain caused by anterior pelvic tilt, I would recommend partaking in the exercises above every day for 30 seconds each.

Another important consideration is that tight muscles are often a result of opposing weak muscles: a tight low back could come from a weak core, and tight hip flexors could be the result of weak glutes. While these stretches should bring some relief, they won’t address the underlying issues that should be addressed in a holistic exercise program. While these weaknesses may only be resulting in low back pain at the moment, they could result in impediments to walking and carrying light objects in the future. If exercise is something that you’re uncertain about, you can sign up for a Free Initial Session at Empower and meet with one of our highly qualified trainers to develop a plan to future-proof yourself.

11Aug

Strength Training for Women

August 11, 2022 Jessica Bottesch 39

_{Today and every day we are focusing on Women’s Health…}

_{More specifically we are highlighting why it is so important for women to resistance train. There are countless reasons why strength training is beneficial for women but here are a few upsides. And, why Empower provides personal trainers for women.}

_{1. Increased Metabolism!}

_{Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is basically how many calories you burn while you are at rest, or an easy way to think about it is how many calories you would burn if you laid in bed all day and did absolutely nothing. Now everyone’s RMR is different based on a few factors: Gender, height, weight, age, muscle mass, just to name a few. A big one that is in your control though is your muscle mass! You could be burning less calories at rest than someone who weighs exactly the same as you but they are practicing resistance training and therefore gaining and maintaining lean muscle mass. While cardio is very appealing because when you get done with a bike ride, run, or long walk and you might see a higher calorie burn at the end of a workout than your typical strength training session. However, the muscle you are building during those strength training session will increase your muscle mass and your overall calorie burn towards the end of the day will be much higher over time than strictly doing cardio.}

_{2. Increased Bone Density!}

_{While the obvious and most apparent benefit of resistance training is muscle gain, you are also increasing your bone density. Resistance training puts stress on your bones which increases the overall bone density. Osteoporosis is a huge threat for women, especially menopausal women. The hormonal change that women go through during menopause puts them at a greater risk for osteopenia and osteoporosis.}

_{3. Maintaining your Independence!}

_{Balance is something that everyone struggles with time to time. What happens if you fall and can’t get up on your own? You don’t want to lose your independence. Most of the time people think of balance as being able to stand on one foot without falling over. While that is one example of balance, there is so much more to it than that. Balance allows us to do so much – walk on uneven surfaces, walk in the dark without falling, be able to walk in the grocery store and scan the shelfs and walk without having to look down at our feet.}

_{It has such an impact on our life that we don’t even realize we are going it. As we age our balance has a natural decline, doing balance exercises and core exercises can help slow down that part of the aging process and even help prevent falls as you get older. What if you do end up falling? Can you get up on your own? Do you have the strength to get up without help from an object or another person? The answer may be no, which is scary. Resistance training can help give you the strength you need to get yourself back up after a fall where you find you are by yourself.}

_{4. Increased Hormonal Response}

_{As we age and go through life stages such as menopause, it is natural for the anabolic hormones in our body to decrease in function which can accelerate the lost of muscle mass and bone density. However, it is well known that an acute bout of exercise can stimulate an increase in anabolic hormone response. Studies in both Cardio and Resistance Training have shown to increase levels in Estradiol, Prolactin, Testosterone, Thyroid and many other anabolic hormones. Estradiol (the precursor to estrogen) and Prolactin (hormone for milk production and lactation) are both key to the development of women across all ages.}

_{5. Prenatal/Postnatal Exercise Response}

_{Regular exercise has been shown to have important health benefits after childbirth. A few published studies suggest that postpartum exercise improves aerobic capacity, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and insulin sensitivity. In prenatal and lactating women further studies have shown that there are no adverse effects to regular exercise.

These a 5 great reasons to start (or increase) a strength training program, and there are more including weight loss (but we didn’t want that one to steal the show). 😉}

Want to get started today? Try this Trip-Set Strength Training Workout:

Try this one!

Interested in working with an Empower Personal Trainer?

Book a FREE Session Here!

16Mar

Group Fitness is Back!

March 16, 2022 Jessica Bottesch 62

Drum Roll Please . . .

Something great is returning to Empower, and we are so excited.

As you know, we made a lot of big decisions throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and one of those decisions was to halt all group training sessions to minimize exposure to people from different households. However, as we emerge from the state of isolation that Covid has caused, we are re-launching our Small Group Training Classes. Yippee!!

Here’s what to love about this:

Small Group Training at Empower differs greatly from your typical group fitness studio class. You are not just another number in a large crowd because we limit our group size to 8 (for indoor sessions).

Our sessions are led by fully certified, very experienced, expert personal trainers or instructors. The best of the best!

Small Group Training is like personal training but with friends and more affordable. While personal training offers you the ultimate level of personalization, these small group sessions are small enough that the instructor can still help each individual person and with a much lower financial investment.

There is something for everyone with Small Group Sessions like:

Empower Circuit Training

Flow and Restore Yoga

Muscle Gaining Functional Training

Greatest HIIT’s

Barre – Yoga Fusion

and MORE . . .

Starting the week of March 21^st our new Group Fitness schedule will be in full swing and we offer a couple lunch time classes and several that start at 5:30pm so you can fit it in before heading home for the day.

REGISTER HERE for Small Group Training Classes: First Class is Complimentary!

(remember full class schedule begins 3/21so scroll to that date to see all classes)

SCHEDULE

Monday

12:30pm- 1:30pm – Empower Circuit Training with Brooke (in studio only)

5:30pm – 6:30pm – Flow and Restore Yoga with RJ (In-Studio and Virtual)

Tuesday

5:30pm – 6:15pm – Muscle Gaining Functional Training with Marques (in studio only)

Wednesday

11:30am – 12:30pm – Empower Circuit Training with Marques (in studio only)

5:30pm – Deep Stretch Yin Yoga with RJ (In-Studio and Virtual)

Thursday

9:00am – 9:45am – JAR Barre – Yoga Fusion with Judy (virtual only)

6:00pm – 6:45pm– Greatest HIIT’s Training with Marques (in studio only)

Friday

9:00am – 10am JAR Barre – Yoga Fusion with Judy (in studio only)

15Dec

Youth Athlete Development

December 15, 2021 Jessica Bottesch 29

Youth Athlete
Performance Development Program
By Dr. Chris Bruscato in partnership with Empower Fitness

Empower is thrilled to be partnering with Dr. Chris Bruscato PT, DPT, LAT, ATC, XPS to bring this NEW and exciting program to the Empower community.

Chris is a physical therapist, athletic trainer, and performance coach with a special interest in sports medicine, performance, and the development of youth athletes. He has created this specialized program to help youth athletes (and those who would like to become more athletic):

Develop robust levels of athleticism
Reduce risk of injury
Enhance health & well-being

Based on the latest scientific research on long-term athletic development in youth athletes, this program is unique in that we perform a detailed evaluation to understand what stage of development your child is in. From there we provide the most appropriate exercises that have been proven to improve:

Strength
Coordination
Balance/stability
Fundamental movement skills (squatting, pushing, pulling)
Sports specific skills (speed, agility, jumping, landing, sprinting, cutting)

How Does It Work: The Process.

STEP ONE: Evaluation – $129
Comprehensive eval and consultation assessing maturational age, flexibility, balance, movement competency, strength. Email Chris to Schedule Eval.

STEP TWO: Assign to training group
Based on the findings from evaluation, we will place your athlete into the correct training group.

STEP THREE: 8-Week Training Blocks – $209 / $389
Choose to train 1 or 2 times per week. This is an ongoing and progressive program that runs in 8-week blocks. First training block starts Jan. 23rd (limited spots)

STEP FOUR: Reevaluate
Reevaluate every 16 weeks, and continue to monitor for changes in development and make advancements to exercise programming.

The Training Groups

A group of people exercising

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Youth Academy (FUNdementals)
The FUNdementals training group is our foundational training group. For younger athletes with a focus on improving a wide variety of fundamental movements and developing self-esteem. We work on coordination, balance, and light resistance training and create a fun environment through the utilization of games, structured play, competition, and positive encouragement.

A group of people exercising

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Varsity Performance (Learn to Train)
The Learn to Train group is our intermediate training group. Adolescent aged athletes we focus on improving both fundamental movements skills, sport specific movement skills, and developing self-worth and confidence. Specifically, working on balance, jumping/landing/running technique, and moderate resistance training with a focus on core strengthening.

Two people exercising in a gym

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D1 Performance (Train to Perform)
The Learn to Perform group is our advanced training group, where we focus on improving both the movements and psychological skills required for success in sport. These teens will move through a systematic sport progression, encompassing mobility, stability, speed/agility, power, and strength.

The Schedule

Evaluation appointments available starting December 11th

Deadline to schedule your child’s eval is Jan. 9th
Spaces are limited in each group, scheduling your eval secures your spot
Email Chris to Schedule Eval.

First block of 8-Week Training Groups begins January 23rd:

Academy

Sunday 9:30am
Wednesday 6pm
Friday 5pm

Varsity
- Sunday 10:30am
- Wednesday 7pm
- Friday 6pm
D1
- Sunday 11:30am
- Wednesday 8pm
- Friday 7pm

Meet the Coaches

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This Dynamic Duo bring years of experience, expertise and a ton of fun!

Learn More about Chris Bruscato and Cierra Dunston on their bios

Spaces are limited. Schedule your eval to reserve your spot!

Email Chris to Schedule Eval.

08Sep

Got Glutes?

September 8, 2021 Jessica Bottesch 37

There is far too much talk about what our backside looks like and not enough talk about what these muscles actually do.

Let’s look.

There are three different glute muscles:

Gluteus maximus

Gluteus medius

Gluteus minimus

Together, these muscles are the primary movers for hip extension, hip internal rotation, and hip abduction (moving the leg away from the midline of the body).

While the glute maximus is the largest and most powerful of the three, (and what I like to call one of your “pretty muscles” that gets a lot of hype because it contributes to what our bodies look like), the glute medius and minimus also play a really important role in controlling the motion of the pelvis and the femur, (they might not be as “pretty” but their function is key to smooth and pain free movement).

Our glutes do so much more than just produce movement at the hip. Strong glutes are important for proper pelvic alignment during running, and even support and balance when standing on one leg. And here is what might grab your attention:

Strong glutes help to support the lower back anytime we lift something

Strong glutes prevent knee injuries and pain during lifting and walking/running

Strong glutes are key to increasing power and athletic performance

Say that again–glutes help:

1. Reduce Back Pain:

Your glutes handle hip extension, but when your feet are fixed to the ground when standing, your glutes assist with raising the torso upward, like when you pick up a package from your front porch. Therefore, when your glutes are strong, you have a more stable pelvis and better support for your lower back. This means any load can be more evenly distributed through the lower back and lower extremities.

**One sign of weak glutes is a rounding of the back when you pick something up off the ground or perform a deadlift.

2. Reduce Knee Injury and Pain:

The pelvic stability the glutes provide is important for other reasons as well. Our lower extremities function together in a closed kinetic chain. When your pelvis isn’t stable, it puts a lot of pressure on your knees and ankles to compensate.

Instability at the hip can cause excessive medial rotation of the femur, which creates lateral tracking of your patella (kneecap). This improper lateral movement is a common source of knee pain.

3. Increase Power & Athletic Performance:

It doesn’t matter if you are an Olympic athlete or a weekend hiker, your glutes are essential to many active pursuits: acceleration, jumping, climbing, lifting, and more. Your glutes not only help you prevent injury, they are also your powerhouse. If you let your glutes get weak, you may find yourself less powerful and less effective on the golf course, the tennis court, your next road race, or the hikes you like to take.

So, how do you get stronger glutes?

Strength training, my friends (I know, that is my solution for almost everything).

Here are 7 of Empowers’ Trainers’ favorite Glute Strengthening Exercises (one for everyday of the week–hint, hint):

Clam shells

Lateral ankle band walks

Hip thrusters

Single leg squat

Single leg deadlift

Curtsey lunge

Lateral step-ups

If you would like more instruction on how to do these exercises or even better, a whole body fitness plan to help you reach your goals, we can help.

Schedule a FREE session with an Empower trainer and get started Today!

Want a quick Fab Four Fitness Moves workout to strength and stretch your glutes at home?

Check out this video and challenge yourself with this workout:

Single Leg RDL x 15 each leg

Curtsy Lunge x 15 each leg

Lunge with Forward Reach x 15 each leg

Figure 4 Stretch – hold 60 sec each leg Workout:

Repeat this circuit 3 times!