The squat remains one the best overall exercises for strength development in both healthy and injured patients. Squatting strength has been correlated with both functional and athletic performance. Our previous blog posts documented the safety concerns of squatting through a partial or full range of motion. In short, in a healthy knee there is no...
Strength training in endurance athletes is an essential part of any injury prevention and conditioning program. Our previous blogs have highlighted the importance of these exercises for improving an athlete’s efficiency during training and competition. Endurance athletes who strength train are more economical and therefore faster than their weaker peers. Strength training exercises should involve...
Strength training is an essential part of an individual’s weekly exercise program. It’s numerous benefits include reduced injury risk, increased sports performance, and improved function in life activities. Time is finite resource and a commonly cited barrier to exercise. In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice we strive to prescribe the most effective and efficient exercises...
photo credit: thealpinetrainingcenter.com 1. What is your fitness background and how did it lead you to opening the Alpine Training Center? I have a Master’s in Exercise Science and I am a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist certified through NSCA. I think my fitness path really began as a high school athlete. I was...
Performing traditional strength training movements with an added component of instability has long been know to change the recruitment of muscles. The unstable nature of the exercise enhances position sense (proprioception), balance, and joint stabilization during each repetition. Previous research recommends using stable surfaces and exercises when the goal is optimal strength and power development. ...
After daily aerobic exercise, strength training may be the most important exercise you perform each week. Strength training has been shown to improve metabolism and mood, functional and athletic capacity, as well as, reduce your risk of injury and slow the effects of aging. Individuals should select exercises targeting large muscle groups performed over multiple...
The least injured and best performing runners training programs include both strength and sprint training. These complementary training programs reduce injury risk and improve running performance among trained distance runners. These programs target a different energy system in the body and have been shown to improve time to exhaustion, running time, and running efficiency compared...
When I first started seeing athletes in the early 2000s we often placed athletes in cold baths in an attempt to both reduce post workout soreness and facilitate recovery. Since this time we have moved toward more active recovery strategies including aerobic exercise, corrective exercise, static stretching, and foam rolling. A new study examined the...
Dry needling is a commonly utilized Physical Therapy intervention which targets taught, tender bands of muscle tissue. This effective treatment has been previously shown to reduce muscle pain and improve muscle performance and function. In our Boulder Physical Therapy clinic we commonly see an immediate improvement in muscle length and mobility following the dry needling...
The gluteus maximus is an essential muscle for daily and recreational activities, but is often found to be weak among patients with musculoskeletal pain. In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice we frequently find hip weakness among patients with low back, hip, knee, and ankle pain. Improving gluteus maximus strength improves movement patterns, dynamic alignment, and tolerance...
