Posts Tagged ‘Biomechanics’

PGA Tour Coach Joey D – Rotator Cuff Exercise with Bands

PGA Tour Coach Joey D works with the GolfGym PowerBandz on a rotator cuff exercise to strengthen the shoulder area that is so important to the golf swing.Coach Joey D is a longtime biomechanics coach on the PGA Tour. After spending seven years with Vijay Singh, he’s now working with Pat Perez, Charlie Wi, Jason Dufner, Ryuji Imada, Jason Gore and Tom Pernice Jr. Check out footage of Joey D working with the GolfGym.com PowerSwing Trainer. For more on Joey D, check out his blog (www.golfgymblog.blogspot.com) and check out the Joey D PowerBandz here – http

PGA Tour Coach Joey D – Rotator Cuff Exercise with PowerBandz

PGA Tour Coach Joey D with GolfGym PowerBandz demonstrates golf specific exercises to strengthen rotator cuff. Coach Joey D is a longtime biomechanics coach on the PGA Tour. After spending seven years with Vijay Singh, he’s now working with Pat Perez, Charlie Wi, Jason Dufner, Ryuji Imada, Jason Gore and Tom Pernice Jr. Check out footage of Joey D working with the GolfGym.com PowerSwing Trainer. For more on Joey D, check out his blog (www.golfgymblog.blogspot.com) and for more on the Joey D …

Golf Fitness Stretching Exercises to Improve Your Golf Game

Help for shoulder pain

Golf fitness stretching exercises can improve your golf game. These types of golf fitness exercises will help you in every phase of the golf swing. The golf swing requires you to draw the club through a long range of motion. This allows the golfer to execute a full shoulder turn, perform each phase of the swing correctly, generate clubhead speed, and accurately hit shots on the course. All to often the amateur golfer lacks the flexibility to execute the golf swing correctly. Causing an inability to make a full shoulder turn or efficiently execute the phases of the swing. Resulting in lower clubhead speeds, inaccurate golf shots, and higher scores rather than lower.

The amateur golfer can improve their ability to execute the golf swing, complete a full shoulder turn, generate more clubhead speed, and hit more accurate shots with improved flexibility. The process an amateur golfer can improve their flexibility is through golf fitness stretches.

Before providing information on what are the best stretches for golfer let us define flexibility. Flexibility refers to range of motion. It is defined as the optimal extensibility of all soft tissues in the body (Michael Clark, Director, National Academy of Sports Medicine). The biomechanics of the swing require the golfer to swing the club on the correct plane. In order for the biomechanics of the swing to be executed correctly every muscle, ligament, and tendon in the body must allow for optimal joint range of motion.

Increased flexibility is the benefit of stretching. These benefits occur through the elongation (i.e. stretching) of soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments). Typically certain muscles in your body are in a shortened position (i.e. “tight”), causing restrictions in the golf swing. Golf stretches (i.e. elongating) these muscles alleviates these muscles alleviates these restrictions allowing for the ranges of motion required of the golf swing to develop.

Because the golf swing requires a large range of motion from multiple joints (ankle, hip, thorasic spine, and shoulder), I suggest performing a series of flexibility exercises for the entire body. Many golfers will find “tightness” in the hamstrings, hips, lower, and upper back causing restrictions in their joint range of motions as well as golf swing. This may require additional golf stretches to assist in the restrictions caused by these muscles.

Guidelines to golf fitness stretches are quite simple. A comprehensive series golf exercises that incorporate stretches for golf swing should be completed a minimum of four times per week. If an individual desires these golf exercises can be performed daily. In addition to performing golf fitness stretches multiple times per week, each golf stretching exercise should take each target muscle passively to the point of “tension” and holding the stretch for 30 seconds. Do not attempt to “bounce” or “push” the stretch for this can result in injury. Pay strict attention to technique with each of your golf stretches. It also recommended to perform a golf fitness warm-up program prior to your golf stretches to get more out of each golf exercise. The following are the golf stretches I often recommend to the amateur player; Rotators, 90/90 Hamstrings, Cats Down, Cats Up, Piriformis, Kneeling Hip Flexor, Openers, Standing Calf, and Standing Quadricep.

Remember what is required from the body in regards to the golf swing. One of these requirements is drawing the club through a long range of motion. Golf fitness stretches and golf exercises can help with this part of the swing. To learn more about golf fitness training, golf exercise, and golf stretches go to my website at www.seancochran.com where you will find an abundant amount of information on of these golf fitness related topics.

Use ice to decrease pain

Exercises For Busy Moms: 4 Quick, But Effective Exercises To Keep Busy Moms Strong

Help for shoulder pain

We all know how difficult it is to stay in shape and find time to exercise – but most especially for women with babies or small kids. There’s the sleep-deprivation factor, no time and priority changes. So what are the fitness options for busy Moms?

The fact is, the more you can take of yourself and the better you feel, the stronger you will be physically and emotionally to take on the day with the “little ones” and all of life’s challenges.

Below are some quick, but effective, exercises – specifically designed for the busy Mom – for the back and shoulders to keep you strong and prevent future injuries that may occur with poor lifting biomechanics and poor posture. The heavy weight of not just the baby, but also all the fun gadgets you’re expected to lug around. It’s no surprise that our bodies need a little help to get through the day.

Rotator Cuff Strengthener

For this workout you will need a light theraband. The beauty about this piece of equipment is that it’s small enough to carry in your bag or your stroller. Now you have no excuses – you can do these exercises on the go, at the park or when you have a few moments to spare.

You can do this exercise either seated or standing; hold the elbows close to the waist with palms facing the sky holding the theraband. Pulling the hands away from each other externally rotating the shoulders

Reps:
3 sets of 10-15 reps

Muscle focus:

Rotator cuff muscles are the small muscles that stabilize the shoulder joint. If these get weak from over use you could end up with bicep tendonitis or other potential injuries. This is very common with Moms as everything is usually done with one hand while holding the “little one” in the other.

Tricep push-up extension

This is the one time in your life you are going to need arm strength, the biceps are going to get over worked from the motion of picking up the baby so it’s important to balance these out and keep the triceps strong as not to put unwanted strain on them.

Hands are directly under your shoulders and knees are on the ground in a modified push-up. The pelvis is slightly pressed forward creating work in the abdominals that stabilize the spine. Place the theraband under the right hand on the floor and extend opposite arm in a tricep extension. Whilst extending the working arm be careful to keep the wrist in line with the hand not to create any unwanted tension/strain.

Reps:
3 sets of 10-15 reps on each side

Muscle Focus:
• Drawing your shoulder blades down activating your upper back muscles, engaging abs at all times. Keeping your abs strong and being aware of contracting them is very important as they play an important role in stabilizing and protecting the back.

• Translating this in to functional activities such as picking the baby up out of the crib will really save your back.

Spine extension with pulses

Over time in pregnancy our posture completely changes due to the increased weight of the baby bringing our body forward and causing the spine to round forward with the shoulders. This causes the back muscles to become very stretched out and weak.

Seated up right with legs in front of body shoulder width apart, hands over your head. Hinge forward from the hips leading with the sternum, biceps are by your ears. Hold this position and slightly pulse the arms behind the body mobilizing the shoulders and working the upper back. Return back to an upright position to repeat the movement again.

Reps:
3 sets of 10 Pulses

Muscle Focus:

Upper back and hamstring flexibility. This exercise will strengthen the mid upper back and open up the tight thoracic area of the spine, correcting bad habits that the body formed through pregnancy.

Butterfly ab curls

Keeping you abs strong is essential for keeping your whole body strong and restoring poor posture left over from pregnancy.

Lying on the floor with heals of feet together and knees bent to the side in a frog like position. Arms are straight over you head, circle arms around and lift the head neck shoulders off the floor exhaling pulling in the abs hold for 5 seconds and return back to starting position.

Reps:
3 sets of 10 reps

Muscle Focus:

As you exhale and bring the head neck and shoulders off the floor think of pulling your abdominals in up and back to the spine. Moms, this is a time you can practice doing your kegal on the contraction working the pelvic floor.

Use ice to decrease pain