Stretching & Strengthening the Iliotibial Band
July 13, 2012
by Stephen R. Santangelo
The iliotibial band is a thick band of fascia which runs along the outer lateral part of the thigh. The band originates at the lateral iliac crest and extends distally to the knee where the patella, tibia, and biceps femoris tendon all connect. The IT Band also, works in conjunction with the hip flexors, extensors, and abductors at its origin.
You can clearly see the IT Band does not work solo, but, with many other muscles to perform proper mechanics in all given tasks...Read More
What Are Shin Splints? Part 1
May 16, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
In general terms, shin splints is a mild to severe pain on the front of the lower leg muscle; the tibialis.
Often it is referred to MTSS or Medial Tibialis Stress Syndrome.
The causes for getting MTSS are infinite and it would literally be a 2 page list as to why it happens. Most doctors and physical therapists will tell you all the reasons why it happens and what ‘ not’ to do.
First of all, as a lifelong athlete I know one thing; don’t tell me what not to do when it comes to my training! Most health care professionals know athletes aren’t going to give up their sport or activities so they suggest taping, wrapping and icing the shins and that is the BIG problem; treating the symptom.
I suffered for years with shin splints throughout my scholastic athletics from grade school into college as well as post collegiate competitions. Throughout the years I followed orthodox methods of treating shin splints with no relief until the early 1980’s...Read More
Man Bags or Murse
March 22, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Many men now carry a Man Bag or more commonly it’s called, a Murse.
Guys usually carry a laptop computer everywhere they go along with iPods, iPads, iPhones and any other type of man toy.
In a recent study, researchers found the average weight in these bags is 14 lbs...Read More
Face Pulls
March 21, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Face Pulls are the #1 exercise for developing upper postural muscles.
This unique exercise activates and builds strength and stability in the entire upper back. The upper posterior chain is responsible for drawing the shoulders down and back creating that 'stand tall at attention' position...Read More
Back Meds Suck!
February 23, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
The common pain relief medications such as Advil, Aleve, Bayer, Celebrex, Demerol, Motrin, Naproxen, Oxycontin, Percocet, Tylenol, Ultram and Vicodin do more harm than good for the body.
None of these drugs cure the problem they only mask the problem. In addition, every one of these meds creates high acid levels in the blood which only causes inflammation in the soft tissues and organs and leads to a deteriorating immune system and death. As a result disease and infection take over the body.
The statistics are rather startling as to the number of deaths every year from these pain killers. The only things they’re killing are people. It has now become the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S....Read More
Train Hard & Rest Even Harder
February 14, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
We all know that hard training is important to elevate health, fitness and athletic performance.
A much neglected aspect of training with great therapeutic benefits is to rest even harder.
Rest comes in many forms. Sleep, relax, meditate and low stimulus activities such as yoga, static stretching and easy dynamic stretching. All are extremely beneficial for the Autonomic Nervous System, often referred to...Read More
Back Surgery Failure
February 1, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Are you aware surgery for disc disease is among the top failure rates for any surgical procedure?
The best prevention for alleviating back ailments is to ‘train’ the back. Don’t be afraid to work the back hard in fear of hurting yourself. You’ll hurt yourself a lot easier, faster and with greater severity if you do not do anything for your back!
Using our line of resistance bands allows you to perform an infinite number of back exercises which place the back in a natural and functional position to properly develop. You must work the back muscles to flex, extend and rotate for...Read More
Stretch the Calves to Release the Hamstrings
December 14, 2010
by Stephen R. Santangelo
One of the most neglected muscles to stretch is the calf. Many people are under the misguided belief that doing standing calf raises is a great way to stretch the lower legs. It is true, while doing this particular exercise the calf muscles gets a good stretch. However, the drawback is that the calf does not stay fully relaxed for extended periods after the workout is complete.
This is where the greatest problem lays. In order to maximize the worked muscles one must do static stretching after the workout as part of the cool down. When the calves shorten after a training session, the tightness works it way up the back of the legs. This is an over compensation response from the hamstrings...Read More
Sleep & Training
December 2, 2010
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Sleep should be at the top of everyone’s list, especially athletes, for optimum recovery and performance. We have all had a great night of sleep and we have all experienced restless nights where we couldn’t get a moment of shut eye.
Recovery from hard training demands solid sleep.
There are many factors which influence your ability to maintain a constant level of deep sleep; eating, exercise, hormone imbalances, stress, emotions and everyday life occurrences...Read More
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