Core Stix Fitness System » Sports Medicine

The Importance of Weight Transfer and Center of Gravity is on Balance.

Raindrop Admin — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:52:41 +0000

With most older individuals you will notice if you look closely that when they stand and move their weight is in their heels. For some of the people I work with their toes are almost completely off the ground when they stand from a seated position or perform a step up. As we get older the fear and anxiety of falling becomes more pronounced. Subconsciously that fear of falling forward makes them place more and more of their weight in their heels. This can be just as if not more dangerous to them in the long run.

Goal: Have them begin to feel their weight transfer between their heels and toes. First in a standing static position, then in a step up.

Core Stix Exercise: FF, B4, Yellow

Core Stix Standing Weight Transfer:

Standing on Position 1, have them utilize the Stix as a balance tool as they begin to rock their weight back into their heels and then onto their toes. If they feel comfortable with it, have them do it barefooted; we have a lot of proprioception in our feet yet in shoes some of that is muted. Make sure that there is no deflection in the Stix. As they rock back they should not be pulling on the Stix or pushing on them when they transfer to their toes. After 10-20 repetitions have them stop and ask if they can feel the weight balanced more through the entire foot. This is a good time to teach the “foot triangle.” Have them imagine that there is a triangle between the pad below their big toe, little toe and heel. They should feel pressure evenly through all the points. This may take some time before they begin to feel all points evenly. Don’t give up, even if they aren’t able to feel it right away, you are still working on ankle mobilization in the sagital plane which they need as well.

Core Stix Balance Assisted Step Up:

Again utilizing the Core Stix as a balance tool, have them perform a 4 inch step up. What you are looking for is no deflection in the rods and where their weight is pressing through their foot. You will see that if their weight is in their heels, they will pull back on the Stix. If their weight is in their toes (very unlikely) they will press forward on the Stix. Eventually you can get them to do the exercise off of the Core Stix or add a press to the exercise as progressions.

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Using Core Stix to Help Hip Replacement and Client’s Balance

Raindrop Admin — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 19:54:45 +0000

When working with a client with a hip replacement the most common functional deficit that we see is a weakness in the gluteus medius, which functionally leads to balance issues. The problem we see in my facility is that once you get this client off the mat table, it is difficult to translate the strength from a supine/side lying/prone position to one of standing. We often see the remnants of a trendelenburg gate for quite some time. What I have started to do to eliminate this issue is to use the Core Stix as a balance tool that starts out with a lot of assistance and gradually decreases the assistance.

Start with the client standing close to the Stix, feet together at foot position 1. With the X-Heavy rods in B4, have the client grab the Stix and stand on one foot (We will use the left for example). Cueing is vitally important, making sure they are pushing down through the board with the one foot and pulling the hip in. Have them maintain good posture and use the Stix to assist them. Once they get comfortable in this position, have them reach outward and touchdown with the lifted foot (Right) to 12, 3, 4, and 6 o’clock. As they reach out they will be bending their left leg slightly and then have to recover into perfect posture again.

Once they are able to accomplish this easily, begin to decrease the amount of assistance they are using by stepping down the Stix (Blue-Yellow-White-and ultimately Purple) By the time they get to the Purple Stix they are only getting a few pounds of assistance but they still feel as though they are getting help from them. Ultimately you can take the stix away and they will be able to do the clock touchdown without any assistance and recover from each rep perfectly.

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The Active Aging Population and Core Stix

Raindrop Admin — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:53:23 +0000

It should come as no surprise that the Active Aging population is the fastest growing market in the fitness industry. The population is getting older and unlike many of the previous generation they are doing so kicking and screaming. For the most part their parent’s generation as they got older if they found they couldn’t continue doing an activity without pain, they just stopped the activity. Not Baby Boomers. They want to continue to be as active as ever and heaven forbid they should have any aches or pains. This is the best market to go after, they are willing to do what it takes to get out of pain, and prevent going under the knife, and they can afford our services.

Unfortunately what I hear the most from this demographic is that they don’t feel comfortable in regular gyms. They are very intimidating to the older crowd. They can’t help but try to compare themselves to those around them who may be 20-30 years their junior and have been active most of their life. Then you have large equipment that’s confusing to use and has the potential if done improperly to hurt you. They go a few times and then quit. However when these same clients see the Core Stix for the first time, they are immediately drawn to it. They aren’t intimidated at all. In fact they ask what it is and then they go up and immediately try it out.

I have a 70-year-old client who admits he is a curmudgeon. He hates exercise but knows he needs it so he puts up with it twice a week. When I first installed the Core Stix he walked up to it and asked, “So what does this do?” After 1 exercise (Stir the Pot) he looked at me and said “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I see the value of this piece. This is really slick.” This blew me away, I had never gotten any response like this from him, ever.

All of my clients love the Core Stix, and they ask to use them. In fact I got rid of a few cable units to bring in more Core Stix. They have become my staff’s favorite piece of equipment.

The Core Stix give you a wonderful leg up on the competition, once you demonstrate the Core Stix to the aging person. Demonstrate to them that they will increase their balance, coordination, strength and flexibility all with one piece and believe me they will sign up for more.

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Core Stix Case Study #1

Raindrop Admin — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:54:00 +0000

Last week I was working with a client KG, who is 8 weeks post rotator cuff repair surgery. I should probably explain that he was diagnosed with a full tear in his right rotator cuff and a partial tear in his left rotator. He went under the knife for his right and wanted to try to rehab the left. We were able to begin managing his left shoulder injury by utilizing the Core Stix in unilateral mode.

This was also very effective in working his core as we have been limited due to other spinal conditions that limit flexion and extension of the pelvis. All core work has been standing/seated spinal stabilization work. So performing the exercises unilateral allowed us to really engage his core at the same time.

Once we got the green light from his MD and PT we were able to begin strengthening his rotator cuff on the right side. Now what we had was a tremendous strength deficiency between the two arms. Under normal circumstances we would have to load one side at a time. What I did was use the X-Lite rod for his right side and the Lite rod for his left in his external rotation exercises. I was able to get some bilateral work in while maxing out each side to their own strength level. We did this with Core Stix Scapular Stabilizing Pulldowns, Wide W Pulldowns and Serratus Anterior Straight Arm Presses with Scapular Stability. All with great results.

Most people are hesitant to train one side with increased resistance vs the opposite side. However what we found was that his right side strength quickly caught up to the left side, within 3 weeks he was using identical resistance on each side. KG is now nearly pain free with great ROM in his right shoulder (no night pain) and we have been able to successfully manage the tear in his left rotator that he is also pain free in nearly all ROM. He still has slight pain in certain ROM due to a small labral tear so we train up to that ROM. Staying in a completely pain free range.

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Kicking it up a Notch with Isometrics

Raindrop Admin — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:51:44 +0000

Muscular contractions are divided into different categories based upon its action, Concentric, Eccentric, Isotonic and of course Isometric. Today we talk about Isometrics, which is loosely defined as a contraction, taking place without movement of the joint. Much like a bodybuilder flexing a muscle, this is a type of isometric contraction. But how can we use this technique and secondly why would we even want to do this.

Two words, physiologic overload. Discovered by Tim Kent when looking at isometric contractions on the knee found that by holding the contraction at 90 degrees and ad gradually increasing the force for 10 seconds, he found that the subject didn’t just get stronger at the 90 degrees (which was expected) they also got stronger at the 10 degrees above and below 90 degrees. So we can apply that to nearly all joints in the body, not just in the knee. The key is to train various joint ranges and if you stay in a pain free ROM you can begin to strengthen the entire joint.

We can use this in a post rehab setting when managing the client after physical therapy. They may still show functional deficits in a particular joint, let say the shoulder, and they may illicit pain in certain points of the ROM. By stopping and performing an isometric contraction just before and beyond the painful area we can “sneak up” on the muscle and begin strengthening it without putting the client in pain. In a Core Stix External Rotation place you as the trainer will have to put the Rod under resistance and then have the client hold the contraction. Begin with you holding 100% of the resistance and their hand is just basically resting on the rod. Then slowly for the entire 10 seconds you release the resistance slowly and they are now taking it up. By the end of the 10 seconds they should be holding the entire resistance.

For our active aging client we can use isometrics the same way but we can also use it to increase workload in nearly any exercise. One of my favorites to do this with is the Core Stix Scapular Stabilizing Presses. With the rods in C3, initiate the move by performing an external rotation, then when their arms are perpendicular to their body have them perform a press. Then perform a unilateral press with the right arm while the left arm is performing a scapular stabilizing isometric hold. Alternate sides. One of the best advantages to this is that when the body is performing this contraction, the amount of spinal stability will be magnified.

This is a simple way to not only rehab the client but also turn up the volume of one of our core upper extremity exercise

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Gunnar Peterson

Raindrop Admin — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:50:02 +0000

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The Best Spinal Stability Exercise

Raindrop Admin — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 19:47:03 +0000

For years I have been in search of the best spinal stabilization exercise. One that not only engages the core and keeps it engaged but also one that hits the spine from a variety of angles at the same time, helping to engage the all elusive multifidi. Until now the best, most efficient exercise I had been able to come up with was the Seated/Standing Statue.

This is performed with assistance of a trainer. The client will be in a seated position with arms crossed in front of their chest. The trainer standing behind the client will apply pressure to the client’s shoulders trying to move them in a variety of directions. The client is told, “Don’t let me move you.” Their job is not to resist so much as it is just to maintain proper posture and not let the trainer move them off of their neutral spine.

While this is a fabulous exercise, it does require 2 people. For years I have been trying to find something that can be just as efficient but can be done solo. The best exercise I have been able to find is the Core Stix Standing Stir the Pot.

The Standing Stir the Pot is done with 2 rods in the center bracket in position E2 and E4. Centering yourself on the middle of the board, with both hands grab one rod and bring it toward your midline and hold. You should already feel your core engage and it should feel as though the rod wants to pull you to the side. Resist that pull. With your arms, begin a stirring motion, small at first then increasing your range of motion to increase your resistance. Reverse directions and repeat. 3 Sets of 15 reps will be more than enough for you to get a great core workout while engaging all the muscles of spinal stability.

What makes this superior to a similar activity with a tube or cable is the Core Stix is consistently pulling you in a different direction as you move it off its center. It is Pulling toward the center of the bracket as well as toward the side of the board. You can progress the exercise by narrowing or staggering the foot stance. Or for a real challenge try it on one foot.

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