Your "Check Engine" Light

As much as I try to tell people, "Muscle Activation Techniques™ is about getting muscles to contract better, not relieving your pain," a large percentage of my clients initially come to see me because they are experiencing some type of pain or discomfort.  Inevitably questions arise when they tell me they are experiencing discomfort in one area of their body and I begin assessing another area.  Then when I begin explaining any limitations or asymmetries I may see they get a case of the "Yabuts".

"Yabut my pain is in my shoulder."

"Yabut it's my other knee that's killing me."

"Yabut I have a lot of discomfort in my low back."

More times than not, this leads to a discussion about pain, cars, and their check engine light.

Pain is often analogous to your check engine light illuminating on the dashboard of your car.  When it comes on, what do you do?  Do you immediately pull the car over, grab the random tool set out of the trunk, and beat the dashboard in with the hammer until the light no longer lights up?  That would get rid of the bright light, right?

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Of course not!  First, that light is merely an indicator that something is going on.  Second, there are numerous reasons why it could be on, none of which include the dashboard being in need of a random, violent beating.

So what do you do?  You take your car into the mechanic and let them assess and figure out what's going on.

That's what MAT™ allows its practitioners to do--assess your neuromuscular system and try to figure out if the "check engine" light of your body (pain) can be dimmed or shut off by improving the way your muscles contract.

Does MAT™ get rid of the pain every time?  Nope.  Does it have the potential to?  Maybe.  Is that the main goal of MAT™?  Nope.

Your "check engine" light might be illuminated for many reasons, one of which is inefficient contractile abilities of your muscles.  Which muscles need the most attention may not have any relation to where the light is shining brightest.  Remember, the "check engine" light is just an indication of an issue and is not necessarily specific to issue that needs attention.  Muscle Activation Techniques™ is a modality that can assess and improve how your muscles contract, potentially dimming that "check engine" light or shutting it off all together.

Is the "check engine" light of your body shining?  Contact your local MAT™ specialist for a tune up!

Interested in finding out more?  Check out the Muscle Activation Techniques™ page!

Interested in setting up an assessment or discussing this subject further?  Leave a comment below or e-mail Charlie at charlie@selfmadefitness.com!

Your body.  Your training.

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Three Reasons for MAT™ for the Overweight Individual

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Three reasons why you should consider checking out Muscle Activation Techniques™:

1. You are concerned about the health of your joints.
2. You want to start exercising but find it to be uncomfortable when you do.
3. You are not interested in starting regular activity but still want to do something to improve your health.

Do any of these sound like something you want?

Interested in finding out more?  Check out the Muscle Activation Techniques™ page!

Interested in setting up an assessment or discussing this subject further?  E-mail Charlie at charlie@selfmadefitness.com!

Your body.  Your training.

Like this post?  Drop a comment below and “Like” Self Made® on Facebook!

Want to use this article in your blog, newsletter, or other platform?  You may, but be sure to include all of the biographical info found in the yellow box below!

Three Reasons for MAT™ for the Post-Physical Therapy Individual

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Three reasons why you should consider checking out Muscle Activation Techniques™:

1. You want to continue progressing the great results you achieved during your physical therapy.

2. You are looking for the next step in improving how you move.

3. You feel like your rehab didn't get you to the exact point you need to be and want to explore additional options.

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Do any of these sound like something you want?

Interested in finding out more?  Check out the Muscle Activation Techniques™ page!

Interested in setting up an assessment or discussing this subject further?  E-mail Charlie at charlie@selfmadefitness.com!

Your body.  Your training.

Like this post?  Drop a comment below and “Like” Self Made® on Facebook!

Want to use this article in your blog, newsletter, or other platform?  You may, but be sure to include all of the biographical info found in the yellow box below!

Three Reasons for MAT™ for the Aging Individual

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Three reasons why you should consider checking out Muscle Activation Techniques™:

1. You want to keep your quality of life as high as you can.

1. You want to continue to live independently for as long as you can.

1. You want to feel more stable during your daily activities.

Do any of these sound like something you want?

Interested in finding out more?  Check out the Muscle Activation Techniques™ page!

Interested in setting up an assessment or discussing this subject further?  E-mail Charlie at charlie@selfmadefitness.com!

Your body.  Your training.

Like this post?  Drop a comment below and “Like” Self Made® on Facebook!

Want to use this article in your blog, newsletter, or other platform?  You may, but be sure to include all of the biographical info found in the yellow box below!

Three Reasons for MAT™ for the Performance-Focused Individual

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Three reasons why you should consider checking out Muscle Activation Techniques™:

1. You want to identify your "weak links" that may be holding you back.
2. You want to do your best to prevent injuries.
3. You want to make sure you are able to use as much of your muscle as you can.

Do any of these sound like something you want?

Interested in finding out more?  Check out theMuscle Activation Techniques™ page!

Interested in setting up an assessment or discussing this subject further?  E-mail Charlie at charlie@selfmadefitness.com!

Your body.  Your training.

Like this post?  Drop a comment below and "Like" Self Made® on Facebook!

Want to use this article in your blog, newsletter, or other platform?  You may, but be sure to include all of the biographical info found in the yellow box below!

Three Reasons for MAT™ for the Relatively Inactive Individual

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Three reasons why you should consider checking out Muscle Activation Techniques™:

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1. You are interested in keeping your body working as well as it can.
2. You want to be able to perform your daily activities better.
3. You are interested in starting exercise and want to make sure your body is ready.

Do any of these sound like something you want?

Interested in finding out more?  Check out the Muscle Activation Techniques™ page.

Inter­ested in set­ting up an assess­ment time or dis­cussing this sub­ject fur­ther? E-mail Char­lie at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

Your body.  Your training.

Want to use this article in your blog, newsletter, or other platform?  You may, but be sure to include all of the biographical information found in the yellow box below!

Three Reasons for MAT™ for the Relatively Active Individual

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Three reasons why you should consider checking out Muscle Activation Techniques™:

1. You want to continue to do what you enjoy doing for years to come.
2. You don't want to feel like older age is limiting your ability to be active.
3. You want a more specific idea of how to exercise to improve your "weak links".

Do any of these sound like something you want?

Interested in finding out more?  Check out the Muscle Activation Techniques™ page.

Inter­ested in set­ting up an assess­ment time or dis­cussing this sub­ject fur­ther? E-mail Char­lie at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

Your body.  Your training.

Want to use this article in your blog, newsletter, or other platform?  You may, but be sure to include all of the biographical information found in the yellow box below!

Are Your Muscles Ready?

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What activities do you like to do?  Are your muscles ready for those activities?

What does your daily life consist of?  Are your muscles ready for those events?

What do you have in store for today's workout?  Are your muscles ready to take on that challenge?

How do you know??

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If you didn't sleep completely well, ate something that your body doesn't totally agree with, have some kind of mental/emotional stress going on, or any of a number of other factors, your muscles may not be absolutely ready to do what you want to do or do what you are asking or requiring them to do.

Muscle Activation Techniques™ can check in on your muscles and nervous system and assess that.

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This is one of the greatest benefits of MAT and one that I utilize with all of my clients before we get into the meat of their workout for the day.  Similar to what I discussed last week, performing CAMs and AMC&S tests before we head to the fitness floor gives me an idea of the state of their system at that moment in time.  And this feedback isn't always the same as the verbal feedback I receive from them regarding how they are feeling, which, to me, makes it a vital aspect to keep tabs on.

Think of it kind of like a diagnostics check for your car.  A brief assessment can unveil if something you were planning on doing should be momentarily put on pause because your body just isn't quite ready at this point in time.  While that's not always pleasing to hear, it certainly is more enjoyable than suffering an injury because you didn't take the time to check things out beforehand.

Additionally, you may not be receiving the full benefit of your physical activity if everything isn't up to par before you begin.  How much more could you achieve if your body was completely ready for what you were going to do?

While I check in on my clients' muscles every time we meet, having an assessment done every other week or even once a month can still be of great benefit.  This little bit of time spent asking some questions can turn up some very powerful answers that may lead to a huge boost in the results you are currently getting through your exercise as well how you feel during your everyday chores and activities.

Are your muscles ready for your life?

Inter­ested in find­ing out more? Check out the “Mus­cle Acti­va­tion Tech­niques™” page.

Inter­ested in set­ting up an assess­ment time or dis­cussing this sub­ject fur­ther? E-mail Char­lie at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

Your body.  Your training.

Want to use this arti­cle in your blog, newslet­ter, or other plat­form? You may, but be sure to include all of the bio­graph­i­cal infor­ma­tion found in the yellow box below!

Blending the Table and Floor

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Something I have been having a lot of fun playing with more recently is taking the information I gather on the table about a client and then bringing that out on the floor to challenge it and actually making significant improvements in their ability to hold positions on the table.

Beginning with Muscle Activation Techniques™ CAMs, I look for their greatest bilateral asymmetry and then test it positionally, as taught in the MAT Jumpstart courses.  If they are unable to hold that position and, depending on a bunch of other variables, if it is appropriate to do so, I have been taking them out on the fitness floor and challenging these positions with what appears to be more traditional forms of exercise as part of their "warm-up".

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Then we head back to the table to retest the position and, if they are able to hold it, move on to the rest of their workout.  Sometimes that's all I will do to try to challenge it for that day while other times I will try to challenge it in multiple ways throughout the remainder of their session.  Sometimes we head back to the table between sets to retest or drop down on a mat to check it right there and then adjustments are made accordingly.

This concept of blending the table and floor was first shown to me by Charlie McMillin during the MAT Jumpstart courses and it was quite the demonstration as he showed how it was possible to apply force in order to challenge tissue with more "traditional" forms of exercise and still get the response on the table that we are looking for when we do the positional tests or AMC&S tests.  Since then, a lot of time has been spent practicing this concept and coming up with new and creative ways to apply force during the PHP study groups ran by Michelle Amore.

The value I see in this is, first, it brings another level of individualization to my clients' workouts.  It isn't remotely feasible to do the same thing with two different people when taking this approach.  Second, if the client is hesitant to spend a lot of time on the table because of their expectations of what they are coming to you for, this can be a very useful skill so as to stay within your ethical guidelines but yet give them what they want.  It can also be a nice transition into getting them to see the benefit of spending a little bit more time on the table now and then.  And, it is a good check to see if what you are doing on the floor is too much for the tissue controlling that position.  Additionally, if you as the trainer enjoy more puzzle-like brain stimulation, this is an excellent way to stay thoroughly entertained and excited throughout your day.

The other thing it helps with is the separation in the client's mind between you performing some type of therapy and you prescribing exercises.  The less they see you as a therapist, the less they may come to you with the expectation that you relieve pain, and instead see you as somebody who makes muscles stronger.

It took me a while to really feel comfortable making that transfer from the information gathered on the table to applying force on the floor, but through continual practice, study, and re-view I now have a better ability to blend the two.  I am by no sense of the word great at it, but I am getting better, and it sure is a heck of a lot fun to practice.

If you are interested in being presented with the tools to start conducting your training sessions in this manner, take RTS™ and take the MAT Jumpstart courses.

What techniques or thought processes do you use to individualize your clients' workouts?

Your body.  Your training.

Want to use this article in your blog, newsletter, or other platform?  You may, but be sure to include all of the biographical information found in the yellow box below!

Where's Your Lever?

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Last week I was fortunate to be able to participate in a couple really great study groups ran by Michelle Amore at Precision Human Performance.  We spent a while going over the AMC&S positions for multiple tests and really tried to dial in on the precision of those.  One thing I had made the mistake of when I first started learning MAT™ and have been trying to be more conscientious of the past number of months is making sure that the force I apply in the testing position is 90 degrees to the lever I am trying to test.  With a lot of upper extremity and lower extremity tests, this lever is easier to see.  But with trunk and spine AMC&S tests, it has often proven to be more difficult.

When I first started, the force I applied in a lot of my tests was 90 degrees to the body, which is distinctly different than 90 degrees to the lever.  Reason being, the body has some amount of thickness, which tilts the lever created to such an angle that my force was no longer being applied perpendicular to that lever, and as such was less efficient at causing motion around the axis (technically axes) created by the tissue I was trying to bias towards.

In order to apply my force in a direction that was most efficient at causing motion around said axis, I needed to understand some things in greater detail.  Because historically I have found these things most difficult for myself to find in the trunk and spine, I will frame this list in that context.

First, I needed to understand where exactly the tissue I was trying to bias my force towards attached.  Which vertebrae did this muscle cross?

Second, I needed to understand the opportunities for motion that were allowed by the structure of the involved vertebrae.  For example, understanding what the structure that the tissue crossed actually allowed for lateral flexion compared to the position of the AMC&S test.

Third, after I located the tissue and understood the structure, I needed to figure out where the axis was that is created by the tissue and the given structure relative to the force that was to be applied for the AMC&S test.

Fourth, after the axis was determined, I needed to find which point of application for my force would give me the greatest mechanical ability to create motion around this axis in the plane required by the AMC&S test.

Finally, after finding that point, I could find the lever that was created between the axis and the point of application of my force, and then apply my force at a 90 degree force angle to that lever.

Similar to what I discussed last week with the CAMs, taking the time to precisely set up the AMC&S tests has made a big difference in the responses I get from my clients' bodies.  Understand that the force you apply during the test will be 90 degrees to some lever, but it is important to make sure it is 90 degrees to the lever you are trying to test.  If a position is unable to be held but your force was not applied in the appropriate direction, two issues have been created: 1) you have a designed a test that doesn't necessarily bias towards the desired tissue, and 2) you have designed a test that may not be recreated exactly during the retest.  Both of these issues may lead to false information that may be affecting the types of response you are getting from your clients.

If any of this discussion was unclear or didn't make sense, drop a comment below and let me know!  Additionally, if you are having difficulty understanding the axis, lever, etc. concepts, take RTS™!

How precise are you with setting up your AMC&S tests and your force application during these tests?

Inter­ested in find­ing out more? Check out the “Mus­cle Acti­va­tion Tech­niques™” page.

Inter­ested in set­ting up an assess­ment time or dis­cussing this sub­ject fur­ther? E-mail Char­lie at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

Your body.  Your training.

Want to use this arti­cle in your blog, newslet­ter, or other plat­form? You may, but be sure to include all of the bio­graph­i­cal infor­ma­tion found in the yellow box below!

What Is Balance? (Wrapping Up)

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About a month ago I began a discussion on balance, making an argument that exercises which are traditionally considered "balance exercises" are challenging a skill set more than one specific tissue and therefore questioning their use early on in the rehabilitation process.  Two weeks later I dove into COM and BOS and last week I went into orchestration.  Now it's time to tie it all together.

As I talked about in my COM and BOS post, physics dictates the need to keep your COM over your BOS in order to remain "balanced" or upright.  Then last week the relevant point to this discussion was that orchestration is happening constantly and it is a subconscious response of the brain to a given demand, a process of deciding which muscles not to use to solve a particular problem or complete a particular task based on, among other things, which muscles do not have the mechanical and/or physiological capability to help out, leaving only the ones that do.

So, if keeping your COM over your BOS is the demand that is placed on your system, your brain will find a way to go about solving this.  Which means if this challenge is presented to the system at a time when there is injured tissue or tissue that is not contracting particularly efficiently, the brain will still do its best to figure out a way to keep COM over BOS.  If it is successful in doing so, I don't think it is too far of a leap to question the extent to which the tissue that is injured or not contracting efficiently was used in the process of solving this COM over BOS problem, if it was at all.

Which leads me to question whether these balance exercises, when used in a post-injury setting, are actually training or helping the injured tissue recover and heal or if they are just simply reinforcing a compensatory pattern where you are learning to use all of the other muscles to get the job done.

You can see the potential snowball effect this can create where now, not only is this injured tissue potentially not participating in the recovery process as much as was originally thought, but the body is being trained in a "weak stay weak, strong get stronger" manner, as well.

If an assessment and exercise process was applied that allowed the practitioner to determine which tissue was not participating fully and then prescribe a specific force application to that tissue, that to me seems like a more reasonable way to focus on the tissue that you are trying to heal.

Muscle Activation Techniques™ is one potential way to go about this, but, as always, there needs to be caution used when prescribing force as you may be imposing a demand in an attempt to create a response that the body really doesn't want created at this particular moment in time.  Additionally, being able to understand the principles of exercise design and force application as presented in the RTS™ courses would be highly useful, especially in terms of progressing someone to the point of being able to use that tissue as much as their body will allow.

Looking back on this post as well as the previous three in this series, what information was left out that would have been useful to discuss or present?  Let me know below!

Inter­ested in find­ing out more? Check out the “Mus­cle Acti­va­tion Tech­niques™” page or sign up to take RTS™.

Inter­ested in set­ting up an assess­ment time or dis­cussing this sub­ject fur­ther? E-mail Char­lie at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

Your body.  Your training.

Want to use this arti­cle in your blog, newslet­ter, or other plat­form? You may, but be sure to include all of the bio­graph­i­cal infor­ma­tion found in the yellow box below!