The modern approach of “rest it and ice it” is not the best way to heal an injury. We’ve known for ages that movement, along with heat, increases circulation and promotes healing. Check out this excerpt from The Wonderful World Within You by Dr. Roger J. Williams, originally published in 1977: We human beings are…
Albert Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. There are many examples of insane traditions in the health and fitness world. Here are some that come to mind… Insane Nutrition Tradition We’re told to eat less to lose weight, so people restrict their calories…
We all experience injuries in life. Minor ones are usually no big deal—you make a few adjustments to your training, give it time, and things typically return to normal. Then there are the major injuries—the ones that require surgery, long rehabilitation, and a tremendous amount of effort just to get back to baseline, if at…
As I mention in my article Radical Methods of Injury Rehabilitation, the standard procedure for most injuries involves anti-inflammatories and painkillers along with RICE: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Normally, what do I recommend? Almost the exact opposite! The Problem with Traditional Methods No rest and no compression, use movement with traction instead. According to…
About 10 years ago, I had a conversation with a well-respected orthopedic surgeon known as “the knee guy” in the Greater Toronto Area. He was about to see a patient who had undergone 10 knee surgeries and was seeking yet another one. In the surgeon’s words: The buck stops here. Each surgery performed complicates the…
Before you read on, watch this video: Now, you may be asking yourself—what’s the big deal? A few chin-ups, so what? Well, those few chin-ups were a big deal to me. That was the first set of supinated-grip chins I performed after my distal biceps surgery. Trust me, it’s been on my mind ever since….
Many health and fitness misconceptions exist. For instance, we’re told to eat a high carbohydrate breakfast to fuel up and kickstart the day with plenty of energy. Unfortunately, for many this leads to a midmorning slump, extreme cravings and hunger throughout the day, and a layer of fat around their midsection that seems to persist…
Two weeks ago, my eldest daughter came home from the dance studio complaining about her left wrist. She had fallen on it during rehearsal, and it was bothering her, so I took a look. There was no swelling, and she had a full range of motion, but it hurt! I told her to sit at…
Warning: This is not one of my typical training-related blog posts. If you’re looking for information to enhance your career as a fitness professional, personal trainer, or strength coach, stop here. But if you’re interested in an experience that may resonate with you as a human being, read on… It was the summer of 1986….
There are plenty of health and fitness misconceptions out there. For example, we’re often told to start the day with a high-carbohydrate breakfast to fuel up and maintain energy. Yet, for many, this leads to a midmorning slump, intense cravings, and stubborn fat around the midsection that won’t budge—no matter how much exercise they do….