Got Passion?
***This is an excerpt from a newsletter I wrote to all the EXL clients this last April, so it’s a little out of season, but the message is timeless.*** This time of year is challenging for me. I find it hard to transition from winter to spring, from ski season to mountain bike season. Because the snow has been so soggy I’ve forced myself to do a few spring bike rides. Ya, I was slow. A ride that normally takes me 90 minutes took me close to 2 hours. I can probably chalk it up to being out of biking shape, but more importantly I contribute it to a lack of passion. My...
read moreRubber Band Core
NOTE: This is a newsletter emailed in January ’09, I’m posting it for archival purposes. Hey, everyone, Mat the trainer again. In the last few emails we have been discussing the core. We have discussed some of the muscles that make up the core; some are obvious, some not so obvious. Let’s review the function of the core again. The core bolsters the spine and creates a stable platform from which muscles can contract to generate force (remember the battleship vs. canoe example). The core also transfers force from the lower body to the upper body, like in a golf...
read moreBench Press is a core workout?
NOTE: this is a previous newsletter, emailed out in the middle of Januaray ’09. I’m posting it to for archive purposes. Hey everyone, Mat the trainer, again. I’m sure you guys have been losing some serious sleep over the “pecs are part of your core” idea and the possibility of bench press being a core workout. Well, let me explicate…your core is involved in every exercise. In fact, a correctly functioning core should fire and stabilize the trunk milliseconds before any movement is initiated. When the core muscles don’t engage, or they...
read moreCore equals abs, but abs do not equal core
Note: This is a previous newsletter I sent out about a month ago, I’m merely posting it so the information can be archived. Hey everyone, Mat, the trainer here to clear up a common misconception. The misconception is that your abdominal muscles are your core muscles. This is a half truth. While your abs, more correctly your internal and external obliques as well as your transverse abdominus, are a component to your core musculature they are not the whole package. So your core entails your abdominals (core equals abs) as well as other muscles, but your abs are not your core...
read moreThe “kneel & reach”
Hey, Mat “the trainer” here, Over the years I’ve trained hundreds of people. And there is one thing they all have in common… an inefficient core. No matter if I’m training a professional athlete, a yoga instructor or a lunch lady they all need a stronger core. But most people have no idea how to contract their transverse abdominus or multifidus. Heck most of us struggle just to pronounce the names of these muscles. Here is a simple “core activation” exercise I use with first time clients to help them understand how to contract/flex their core. It’s called...
read more