Got chicken legs? Don’t forget about your chicken wings. The serratus anterior muscles are what I refer to as our “wings.” They help us move our arms multi-dimensionally and with great speed. We may not necessarily rely on them for quadrupedal locomotion, but they help us move forward by increasing our arm’s distance from danger, keeping predators at an arm’s length away or drawing an imaginary boundary.

When the serratus anterior is flexed, it appears to lengthen the arm by wrapping the scapula forward toward the chest. When done repetitively this creates a motion like flapping wings or a movement patterns like that of a four-legged animal. Serratus anterior muscles are also known as the “boxer’s muscles” because of their mobility pattern. A boxer’s punch and reach come from the effectiveness of the scapula protracting and retracting.

The serratus anterior muscles are also breathing accessory muscles. They originate on the upper eight ribs and insert into the medial border of the scapula. They stabilize the shoulder blades and when flexed will spread the ribs for an inhale. The greater the inhale, the greater the internal pressure. This pressure creates a strong support for action, balance, or resistance.

Yoga Functions

When the serratus anterior muscles are weak, they contribute to neck problems, rotator cuff issues, numbness down the arm, poor circulation, and lymphatic return through the armpits. This last issue is a particular concern as it can lead to a backlog of toxins in the breast tissue and lymph nodes. This area must remain open and with venous return flowing.

Because the serratus stabilizes the positioning of the arm and shoulder, this muscle is important for inversions such as turbo dog, downward facing dog at the wall, dolphin, handstands, forearm balances, and wheel. Serratus is also a support for arm balancing. When activating serratus you can do a variety of pushups without bending the elbows. This is particularly fun with crow pose while keeping the arms straight.

Strengthening Exercises

Breathe. Place your hands on your ribcage just below your armpits and breathe deeply. Feel for these muscles activating. Feel the ribcage expand and contract. Now try these two exercises:

Wall Presses

Stand facing a wall, arm distance length, with palms shoulder height on wall. Lean forward with your torso toward the wall, without bending your arms, feeling the shoulder blades come closer together at the spine. You are flexing the rhomboids and stretching the serratus simultaneously.

Floor Presses

Sit on the floor, legs crossed with feet on ground. Place your palms on the floor by your hips, with arms straight. Press you body away from the floor by using the serratus anterior. You may only gain an eight of an inch to begin but keep practicing. Soon you can move your feet in the air provided the torso is suspended high enough to gain ground clearance. Greater ground clearance is created by the serratus pushing the torso away from any obstacle or object.

Serratus anterior reminds us to use muscles that we cannot see, and to take a greater focus for connecting and feeling. They are unlike the biceps or quadriceps in that you must pay greater attention for subtle shifts and feedback. They won’t yell and scream like the more robust and extroverted muscles. It’s a good lesson. Be more aware to everything that is quieter to respond.

The post Getting to Know Your Serratus Anterior: Strengthen Your “Wings” appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

This article will give you a better understanding of the importance of the iliopsoas muscle group, how to strengthen it, and how to lengthen it for those who are tight in this area.

The Muscles That Make Up the Iliopsoas

The two muscles that make up the iliopsoas group are the psoas major and iliacus. These two muscles are important in the hip flexor group and as low back stabilizers. In fact, the iliopsoas is one of the most powerful of the hip flexor group. There is a possible third muscle, which some of us have and some of us don’t, that I will address, as well.

Muscular Anatomy of the Iliopsoas

Psoas Major: This muscle is deep to the abdominal contents

• Action: At the coxal joint, it flexes, laterally rotates, and adducts the hip
• Origin Site: Bodies and transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae
• Insertion Site: Lesser trochanter
• Nerve Innervation: Lumbar plexus

Iliacus: Deep to the abdomen in the iliac fossa

• Action: Same as the psoas major
• Origin Site: Iliac fossa
• Insertion Site: Lesser trochanter
• Nerve Innervation: Femoral

Psoas Minor: Roughly 40% of the population has a psoas minor. Interestingly, the psoas minor is an important muscle of the locomotion in a dog or a cat, but in a human biped it is a relatively insignificant muscle.

• Action: Assist to create lordotic curve in the lumbar spine and tilt the pelvis posteriorly
• Origin Site: Body and transverse processes of the first lumbar vertebrae
• Insertion Site: Superior ramus of the pubis
• Nerve Innervation: Ventral rami of the lumbar

Iliopsoas Weakness

Iliopsoas weakness may result in a “sway back” posture or “flat back” posture. As the line of gravity falls slightly posterior to the hip axis, it creates an extension moment at the hip. EMG studies have shown that in normal conditions the iliopsoas muscle is activated to create an internal flexion moment to counteract this external force. Prolonged hyperextension resulting from this sway back posture increases stress placed on the anterior hip joint ligaments and anterior joint capsule, which can lead to instability in the hip joint. This can also cause muscle imbalances due to overcompensation of surrounding muscle tissue.

Iliopsoas Weakness and Your Sport

Weakness in the iliopsoas causes decreased ability to flex the hip joint, as well as difficulty bringing the trunk forward when preparing to rise up from a seated position or walk up an incline. If you are a runner, it decreases your stride pattern.

How this can impact our weightlifting can be explained by looking at the snatch lift. Many have heard of the “power triangle” in weightlifting – in this position the hips are flexed and the trunk is forward. With weak iliopsoas muscles you will have difficulty getting into this position, which means you lose out on potential power you can create in this area. So, you may not make gains you would like in the lift. Iliopsoas weakness also causes instability at the squat portion of these lifts, which can cause discomfort to the athlete.

How to Strengthen the Iliopsoas

Strengthening the iliopsoas can improve speed, agility, and strength in Olympic lifting movements. You can do any of these basic exercises before your workout or even after:

Leg Lifts

Lie on your back, legs extended in front of you. Place your hands either underneath your bottom or above your head. If your hands are above your head, be conscious about leaving your lower back on the ground rather than curved. Best way to do this is to think about bringing your belly button towards the spine. Lift one leg several inches above the ground. Do ten to fifteen reps on each leg. You can do these weighted.

Hanging Leg Lifts (Knee to Elbows)

Hang from a pull up bar. Lift both knees in towards the chest. It’s important to reach the knees to the chest area, or you can aim for your elbows like the knee to elbow movement.

V-Sit

Start lying down. Lift the lower legs, knees bent at ninety degrees. Place the hands on the shins and begin to lift the upper body. Try to release the hands forward on the sides of each leg. If the strength is there, lift both legs upwards rather than forward. Hold for ten to fifteen seconds, for ten reps.

Bringing Length Into the Iliopsoas

Tight iliopsoas can be associated with low back discomfort and dysfunction because the muscles pull on the pelvis and affect range of motion in the low back and hips. Use these movements to help bring length to the area:

Low Lunge

We all know what a lunge position is. Remember to keep the bent knee at ninety degrees and lower the back leg towards the group. Lift the upper body. You want to shift your energy forward rather than backwards. If you would like you can lift your hands up towards the ceiling and add a little backbend to this movement to increase the stretch.

Bridge

Start lying down. Bend your knees so your feet are close to your glutes. Begin to lift the pelvis by squeezing the glutes and hamstrings. You hands should be by your side.

Inclined Plane or Reverse Plank

Begin in a seated position. Arms are behind the body and fingers are forward towards your feet. Activate the glutes and hamstrings and begin to lift the pelvis. This action will straighten your arms. The lower legs should be bent at a ninety-degree angle at the knees. If you feel comfortable in this position, extend the knees so both legs are extended forward. See if you can hold this position for thirty seconds to one minute.

A healthy iliopsoas is important for all the movements that you do in daily life. So, it is vital you take the time to strengthen and lengthen these muscles to get the most out of your workouts and to prevent injuries. If you run into serious problems such as pain in the iliopsoas (which can manifest as low back pain or hip pain), then seeing a physical therapist or a massage therapist can help alleviate those problems and fix any resulting gait problems you may have developed, as well.

References:

1. Biel, Andrew. Trail Guide to the Body (Colorado: Books of Discovery, 2005), 328-330

2. Micheli, Lyle J. The Sports Medicine Bible (New York: Harper Collins, 1995), 60-63

3. Long, Ray. The Key Poses of Yoga (New York: Bandha Yoga Publications, 2008), 42-44

4. Long, Ray. Yoga Mat Companion 3: Anatomy for Backbends and Twists (New York: Bandha Yoga Publications, 2010), 164-168

5. Avila, Jessilynn and McArthur Kelly. “Extreme Weakness of the Iliopsoas.” Florida International University (2013): eFirst, accessed April 8, 2014.

Animation by Anatomography (en:Anatomography (setting page of this image)) [CC-BY-SA-2.1-jp], via Wikimedia Commons.

The post Everything You Need to Know About the Iliopsoas appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Hot yoga is a huge craze, but is it safe? There are some things you need to know about how the body handles heat so you can decide if hot yoga is good for you.

The Truth About Steroid Use in CrossFit: Don’t Ever Assume

I do not believe that every person in CrossFit is using steroids. The reason for this I hope can be explained in this article about natural hormone increases brought on by heavy resistance training.

The CrossFit Dilemma: Why Can’t I Lift More Than THAT Person?

Many athletes may wonder why they are not able to lift more than the person next to them. Let’s look at different body types and how to work with your genetic musculature to make strength gains.

How Bands Are Actually Holding You Back

It wasn’t until I attended the current CrossFit Gymnastics certification that I realized bands are not essential, and can even be a crutch to an athlete’s progression.

Amber has been an athlete all of her life, playing soccer as a child until she finished college. She was also a gymnast and track and field athlete. She soon found a love for kinesiology, human anatomy, and physiology, and decided to go back to school to become a massage therapist. She later went back to get her Bachelors of Science in biology with a specialization in human anatomy and physiology.

Kipping and the Handstand Push Up: Is It Safe?

To do the HSPU, you must learn handstand basics. There can be harmful implications of learning to kip before doing the handstand push up strictly.

The Female Form: Embrace Your Genetics and Find Beauty in Being Unique

On average, most women will have about thirteen negative thoughts about their appearance per day. I know it can be difficult to stop the negative self talk, but it’s time to embrace yourself.

What Science Has to Do With Our Comments on Fitness-Related Articles

Everyone has a different opinion in the fitness arena. But remember your comments may be representing more than just yourself.

Low Back Pain: A Guide for Coaches and Athletes on Anatomy, Types, and Treatment

In order to best help your clientele, it’s important for coaches to understand the muscles of the back, what can cause back pain, and treatments (after physical therapy, of course.)

Understanding Periodization: A Brief Explanation for Coaches and Programmers

Periodization can be a tool to help your athletes continue to make gains and to ensure sound programming. Remember, the idea behind CrossFit is “constantly varied” – not actually random.

Working with Special Populations Part 2: Asthma

Regular exercise can do wonders for those who suffer from asthma, but it’s vital that coaches understand how to safely work with asthmatic trainees.

Growing Bones and CrossFit Kids: The Biology Every Kids Coach Should Know

CrossFit is great for kids but it’s essential that trainers understand the changes in muscles, bones, and hormones that kids undergo in order to keep them safe and healthy.

The Science and Psychology of Motivation for Athletes

What is motivation? And I don’t just mean the basic definition, but the science of how motivation works. What motivates you versus me?

The post A Biologist’s Perspective on CrossFit and Gymnastics appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

As coach Patrick McCarty mentioned in one of his articles, going to a CrossFit Level 1 Certification course in and of itself does not make you an awesome coach.

The certification teaches you the CrossFit methodology (which is important, don’t get me wrong), but there is more to coaching than methodology. Coaching is also about science and anatomy, and this is true for all coaches and personal trainers, CrossFit educated or otherwise.

What Coaches Need to Know About Bone Structure

The average human skeleton has about 206 bones. The fact that I said average should be a clue there are some people who are exceptions to the rule. A couple interesting facts about bones are that about one in twenty people have an extra rib and the number of bones in the skull varies from person to person.

I am going to go over some basic information about our bones, but I encourage all coaches to do some of their own homework on bones and skeletal structure.

Bone is active tissue comprised of about 22% water and is extremely strong, yet lightweight and flexible in structure. Bone tissue has several advantages, one of the most important being that it can repair itself if damaged.

With this ability, bones can be remolded to thicken and strengthen in areas of stress by performing activities like horseback riding and lifting (we will go over this importance).

There are two major divisions of bone:

1. Axial, which include the skull, vertebral column, ribs, and sternum.
2. Appendicular, which involves the appendages.

Not all bones are created equal, which means everyone is slightly different when it comes to length and overall structure of individual bones. Yes, we are all given the same blueprint, but each person’s bone structure is unique to them.

A joint is the site at which two bones meet and form a joint or articulation. There are several types of joints, including pivot, hinge, gliding, ball and socket, saddle, and ellipsoidal. Joints are especially important when it comes to movement, but again, like with our bones, we are all constructed uniquely.

We all have joints that sit in the same place, but size and flexibility make a difference in how we CrossFit, especially with lifts and Olympic lifting.

Bones Structure and Lifting

Since as humans we are all different, it’s hard to make people fit into one category or a “one size fits all” mentality.

Coaches need to take into account an athlete’s bone structure and make tweaks to a movement from there, instead of trying to force an athlete to look exactly like you, because not everyone will (or even can). And if an athlete is new to barbell lifting, his or her body may not be adapted to that form of work in the beginning, and I am specifically talking about bones.

The way to train a new athlete will be slightly different from a seasoned athlete. The new athlete’s bones may not yet be ideal for load bearing, but over time doing load-bearing movements will build both bone and muscle strength.

Coaches should utilize something called specificity loading, which entails using exercises that directly load a particular region of the skeleton.

As the bones get used to the movements, coaches and reexamine and tweak exercises and load over time. Basically, what you are doing is building strength in the bone structure, which then makes the athlete adaptable to lifting heavier loads later.

So this begs the question, is it smart to teach compound and complex movement like the clean and jerk and snatch right off the bat? Or is it safer to build up the single system via specificity loading with movements like the deadlift, front squat, push press, strict press, and overhead squat in order for the athlete to withstand the stress of the more complex movements?

Many do not realize how technical the Olympic lifts can be. Clients and athletes need to be confident and strong in single-system bone structures before attempting the complex movements.

As to when the newer athlete is ready is up to the discretion of the coach. This is where a CrossFit Level 1 or other basic certifications don’t give you the answer.

This process is something that a coach has to learn and be smart about to keep all clients and athletes safe. If a coach feels the athlete is ready, there is the option to continue with specificity loading by doing snatch and clean complexes.

Building the bones to adapt is important in that it prevents injury and can help with the more complex lifts by having the basic single movements built into memory with good form.

What Coaches Need to Know About Musculature

The human body has approximately 640 muscles and each muscle is usually classified with an origin, insertion, action, and nerve innervation. Everyone has different fiber types in different areas, so even musculature varies from person to person.

Before going into more musculature, it’s important to know how muscles contract. I honestly can write a book on muscle contraction (and there are books on muscle contraction), but I will give you the short version.

Myosin filaments slide between the actin filaments, shortening the myofibrils and the muscle fiber.

The amount and strength of contraction is dependent on how many muscle fibers shorten overall. As coaches, it’s important for you to know what muscles are working during movements in order to help athletes learn what they should be feeling during movements.

Each movement must maintain muscle balance, which means maintenance of balance of muscular strength across joints and between opposing muscle groups.

When it comes to muscles, there is some terminology all coaches should know:

• Synergists are muscle groups working together to produce a movement.
• A prime mover is among the group of synergists and is the muscle that plays the major role in accomplishing the movement.
• Fixators are muscle that holds one bone in place relative to the body while a usually more distal bone is moved. An example of this is certain trunk muscles are fixators to the scapula. The muscles of the trunk hold the scapula in place while muscle attached to the scapula contact and move the humerus. This may answer the question as to why the trunk should always be contracted in movements like the snatch, strict press, and overhead squat.
• The agonist is a muscle that accomplishes a certain movement, like flexion of the knee.
• The antagonist is the muscle acting in opposition of the agonist.

There is a lot more to coaching than what meets the eye. Your athletes don’t necessarily need to know all the terminology given here (or everything else you will learn as you hopefully continue your research and education), but for you as the coach, knowing these terms can help you relate to what your athletes are doing and help you make adjustments to their form based on their anatomical structure.

If you have new athletes who ask you what they should be feeling, you should be able to answer their questions in terms of anatomy.

If you can’t answer simple questions, it’s important to do some sort of outside research beyond your basic coaching certification.

So what about you, coaches, do you believe in teaching Olympic lifts right off the bat? Or do you wait until they have built strength through specificity loading in movements like the front squat, deadlift, and strict press? Post your thoughts to the comments below.

References:

1. Tate, Philip. (2012). Seely’s Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. New York. McGraw Hill Companies

2. Parker, Steve. (2007). The Human Body Book. New York. DK Publishing

3. Baechle, Thomas R, Earle, Roger W. (2008). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. Illinois. Human Kinetics

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

Actin/myosin graphic by hamish darby (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

The post Why CrossFit Coaches Need Anatomy: Bones, Muscles, and Lifting appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Your body is many things: a mechanical device, a walking chemistry set, a sustainable life form, and an ever-changing biological phenomenon. There’s a lot to know about the body. Were you aware of these ten amazing facts?

1. For every pound of fat gained, you add seven miles of new blood vessels.

New tissue needs blood supply, so your vascular system expands to accommodate it. This also means your heart must work harder to pump blood through the new network, which may reduce oxygenation and nutrient replenishment in other tissues. Lose a pound? Your body will break down and reabsorb the unneeded blood vessels from the previous tissue.

2. Muscle tissue is three times more efficient at burning calories than fat.

This is why possessing more muscle should be a training goal for most people. More muscle = more calories burned = less fat = being more fit looking. Simple goals and simple math.

3. You are taller in the morning than in the evening.

When you crawl out of the sack in the morning you are at your tallest. On average, you are approximately one half inch taller when you wake in the morning, thanks to excess fluid between within your spinal discs. While you are sleeping, these fluids replenish. During the day your body has to deal with the stress of standing, so the discs become compressed and the fluid seeps out. This results in you losing a small amount of extra height.

4. Your stomach manufactures a new lining every three days to avoid digesting itself.

As a part of the digestive process, your stomach secretes hydrochloric acid (HA). HA is a powerful corrosive compound also used to treat various metals. The HA your stomach secretes is also powerful, but mucous lining the stomach wall keeps it within the digestive system. As a result it breaks down the food you consume, but not your own stomach.

5. Your body produces enough heat in only thirty minutes to boil a half-gallon of water.

Your body is the epitome of a study on the laws of thermodynamics. You produce heat from all that is going on – exercise, metabolizing food, maintaining homeostasis – and as you sweat, exhale, excrete, and urinate (lovely thoughts, all of them).

6. Human bone is as strong as granite, relative to supporting resistance.

Would you believe a matchbox-size chunk of bone can support 18,000 pounds? Compared to concrete, human bone is four times greater in support strength.

7. Your skin is an organ.

Just like the liver, heart, and kidneys, your outer covering is an organ. An average man has enough skin on his body to cover approximately twenty square feet. For an average woman it is approximately seventeen square feet. Approximately 12% of your weight is from your skin. And, your skin replaces 45,000+ cells in only a few seconds. It’s constantly growing new skin and shedding old skin.

8. By the age of eighteen your brain stops growing.

From that age forward it begins to lose more than 1,000 brain cells every day. Only two percent of your body weight is occupied by your gray matter, but is uses up to 20% of your overall energy output (it needs carbohydrates). Your brain works continuously and never rests, even when you’re asleep. Aside from producing REM dreams, your brain works overtime to replenish its ability to function normally during your daytime waking hours.

9. There are more than 600 individual skeletal muscles and 206 bones in your body.

If all 600+ muscles contracted and pulled in the same direction, you could lift over twenty tons of resistance. Additionally, the adult skeleton is composed of 206 bones, but at birth an infant skeleton contains approximately 350 bones. Over time, some of the 350 bones fuse together and eventually grow to the 206 adult figure.

10. You need to consume a quart of water each day for four months to equate to the amount of blood your heart pumps in one hour.

Additionally, over a lifetime, at your normal (resting) heart rate you will have pumped enough blood to fill thirteen oil super tankers. To further expound on this fact, on average, your heart beats 40,000,000 times per year. Doing the math, over your lifetime (both men and women averaged), that results in 2,600,000,000 heartbeats (two billion, six hundred million). This does not even factor in your increased heartbeats due to your love of exercise.

These are only ten things you probably did not know about body. Pretty amazing stuff! There is plenty more to know about the human body, and I recommend you discover these facts by being inquisitive.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

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